Supergroup
by DairyProduceBasedCultLeader
Summary: Beacon Records assembles a band of the best musicians on Remnant in a bid to save themselves from financial ruin. But will the band survive, or will the excesses of fame tear it apart? (Band/Music AU)
1. Chapter 1

In a meeting room high above the city of Vale, the board of Beacon Records was assembled. They were starting to struggle against the competition, and they needed to act quickly in order to save themselves. At the head of the meeting room table sat President Ozpin, founder, owner and head of the company. He was joined by the other three most senior directors Glynda Goodwitch, Peter Port and Bartholomew Oobleck.

Ozpin got straight down to business "I won't lie to you, we're in big trouble. We're falling behind Atlas, Haven and Shade, and the smaller companies are catching up to us." he said, being brutally honest with the others. Their situation was dire, so he could not afford to mince his words.

Goodwitch sighed "This is James' doing, isn't it? He's punishing us for taking Pyrrha." she commented. Pyrrha Nikos was one of the label's biggest artists, and she had been in high demand when they signed her. James Ironwood, the head of Atlas Records was not happy about it and had promised to ruin them for it.

Ozpin shook his head "While I admit that may have something to do with our difficulties, I assure you there is more to it than that." he told her and the others. Though Ironwood was causing them problems, he was just one of the many reasons why they were struggling.

"Perhaps we should focus more on resolving this issue, rather than the reasons behind it," Port suggested. Discussing the causes of their problems was pointless if it didn't help them to solve the problems. They needed a solution soon, or it would be too late and they'd all end up jobless.

"Quite right, do we have any plans for getting ourselves out of this predicament?" Oobleck added. He agreed with Port that finding a solution, was far more important than discussing the causes of the problem. It wouldn't matter what caused the problem if there was going to be no company left to save.

Ozpin nodded, before revealing his big idea. "We need a new act, something that can put us back on top," he explained. They were performing reasonably well with the acts and artists they already had, but they weren't doing well enough when compared to their rivals. Out of the big four record labels of Remnant, they were doing the worst by a significant margin.

Port raise a sceptical eyebrow "How do you propose we find one? Atlas is eating up all the new talent." he asked. A large part of Ironwood's plan to ruin them was starving them of new acts. So, he signed every emerging artist or group, before they were even aware of them. It made the idea of finding this new act seem quite ludicrous, as far as Port was concerned.

"Well, I plan on creating a band, starting with our most recent signing," Ozpin responded. He wasn't put off by what Atlas was doing, his plan was meant to avoid that problem completely. After all, there were still people Ironwood overlooked in his quest to ruin them.

"You mean Summer's daughter?" Goodwitch asked him. She had been the one to discover their latest signing, so she already knew the answer but she asked anyway just to confirm. Summer Rose was an extremely skilled guitarist who was once signed by them, and their latest signing was none other than her daughter.

"Precisely. Ruby has inherited her mother's talent, maybe even surpassed her." Ozpin explained confidently, he had a great deal of faith in his plan having put a great deal of effort into formulating it. Ruby Rose, was the starting point for the plan and she was a very good one at that.

Goodwitch was satisfied with his response, but that was only the first part of his plan. "That's certainly a good start, but what about the rest of this band?" she asked. Ruby was good, but not good enough to save them by herself. For her to have any lasting impact on their fate, she would need to be put with others of equal or greater musical ability.

"Simple. While Atlas is taking all the new talent, they're neglecting established acts. So we will take them instead." Ozpin told her. Atlas was too busy signing new talent and ignoring the established artists and acts which still had a lot to give, which left them ripe for the picking for Beacon. That meant that they had a lifeline, a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

"The board was impressed so far, they could tell Ozpin knew what he was doing. "I assume this means that you already have someone in mind," Oobleck asked, already well aware that Ozpin must have had a complete plan already.

Ozpin smiled to himself "Three people actually. Three people who combined with Ruby, have the power to save us." he proudly announced, letting them know that everything was already clear in his mind. He wasn't going to let their problems overwhelm them, not after all the time and money he put into building the label up to what it was.

"Well, Oz? Who are they?" Port asked him, curious as to who their potential saviours were. He couldn't think of three people who could help them, so he had no idea who Ozpin was thinking of putting with Ruby.

"The first is Weiss Schnee. She already has a successful solo career, but she recently expressed an interest in trying something new." Ozpin replied. Weiss Schnee was a world-renowned singer and had made a lot of money from her music career, but she had grown bored of her life and she had told an interviewer that she wanted to do something different with her talent.

Goodwitch was quite sceptical, given Weiss' high profile "You think we could actually get her? Why would she ever want to come to us?" she questioned, thinking Ozpin was delusional for even entertaining the idea of signing her.

Ozpin nodded "It may seem unlikely, but I have it on good authority that she would be open to it." he explained. He knew a lot of people in the business, some of whom were close to Weiss. So thanks to them, he was fairly confident that she would accept their offer if they were to extend one to her.

"Alright, I'm curious to see how that goes for us," Goodwitch responded, still not entirely confident that Ozpin could pull it off. She would have to see it in order to truly believe it was possible, it seemed so far fetched even for Ozpin.

"I'm sure she will sign with us, and then we'll have our band's singer," Ozpin assured her. If as he believed, he could get Weiss to sign with them. Then her signing ability combined with Ruby's guitar skills would put them well on their way, to forming the band that would give them the boost they desperately needed.

Again, the board was impressed with Ozpin's plan "We all know how good she is, and I'm sure Ruby is as good as you say. But who are you planning on teaming them up with?" Port asked. He was confident that Ozpin's plan would work out for them, but he still couldn't work out who could possibly be put with Ruby and Weiss.

"I believe we will need an additional guitarist, and I've found one of the best. Blake Belladonna." Ozpin said. Blake Belladonna was said by some to be Remnant's greatest living guitarist, possessing skills way beyond her years and experience. Having her on board would be another great boost, and would form one of the best musical trio's Remnant had ever seen.

Oobleck was somewhat confused. "Isn't she already in a band?" he asked. Blake was a member of the Faunus Rock Band, The White Fang. Or at least that had been the case the last time he had checked. They were experiencing a lot of success, so he saw no reason why she would leave to join their new band.

"Actually no. She recently left the White Fang, after falling out with the lead singer. She's currently going it alone, but I'm sure she'll jump at the opportunity to join us." Ozpin explained. In a recent development which had almost been completely covered up by the band, Blake had left as a result of falling out with its lead singer Adam Taurus. So she was no available for them to sign, as long as she was willing to join them.

"If you can pull that off, we'll have an extremely talented trio. So I hope you intend to put them with a drummer of equal quality, to avoid dragging them down." Goodwitch commented. If Ozpin could get the three girls together he would already have a successful band, but to make them into something truly special they needed a fourth. They needed a drummer to back them up.

"Relax Glynda, I have found one of them too," Ozpin assured, trying to boost her confidence in the plan. He could tell that she wasn't as onboard with it as the others, but he wasn't too worried as he had everything worked out already.

Ozpin's assurance made Goodwitch feel better about the plan, but there was one more thing she needed to know "Good. Who are they?" she asked, hoping the person he had in mind was as good as they needed to be. She trusted Ozpin, but he wasn't infallible.

"Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin responded. Yang Xiao Long was the best drummer in Remnant, at least in terms of speed and endurance. She held the records for most drum beats in a minute and longest drum solo, making her a force to be reckoned with and the ideal fourth member for the new band. With Weiss' vocals, Ruby and Blake's guitar skills and her drumming ability, the band could take Remnant by storm.

Goodwitch gasped "Are you out of your mind? She's a raging alcoholic." she protested. Unfortunately, Yang was an incredibly troubled individual. She drank excessively and had one hell of a temper. She had been the drummer for a punk band, but they kicked her out after she got drunk, wrecked a club they were performing at, and hospitalized several people including the club owner.

Ozpin sighed heavily, disappointed with Goodwitch reaction. "She may be troubled, but she's talented," he argued. For all her faults, Yang was still an incredibly talented musician. In his mind, all she needed was a big break to help her relax and focus on her music. So he didn't appreciate Goodwitch's clear disdain for the girl.

Goodwitch didn't agree with Ozpin. "She's just like her mother. Do you really want another Raven on your hands?" she asked. Raven Branwen was a singer who had been signed with them, like Yang she was extremely troubled. One day Raven lost it and stormed off, vanishing off the face of Remnant. Unfortunately, Yang was her daughter, and she developed many of the same problems.

Ozpin wasn't happy with Goodwitch "Enough Glynda. We mustn't give up on her before we give her a chance, this could be exactly what she needs." he told her. Giving Yang a chance would be mutually beneficial as far as he was concerned, and he wanted Goodwitch and the other directors to understand that. His mind was made up, but he wanted them on board with the idea too.

Goodwitch crossed her arms and huffed, begrudgingly accepting the idea. "Fine, but don't blame me when she goes off the rails," she said. She had no doubt that Yang would end up just like her mother, so she wouldn't accept any responsibility for it when it eventually did happen. As long as that was understood and respected by the others, then she was on board.

With everything cleared up, Ozpin accepted Goodwitch's request and told the others what he wanted them to do. "Don't worry, we won't. Now, let's get to work. I want you to pay Weiss a visit. I want you to get Blake. And you can find Yang since you're clearly so fond of her." he ordered. He sent Port after Weiss, Oobleck after Blake, and Goodwitch after Yang out of spite.

Port and Oobleck quickly took their leave without questioning Ozpin. While Goodwitch followed them out a few moments later, clearly not happy about the task she was assigned. As soon as they were all gone, Ozpin smiled to himself again. "Oh James, it seems I will be the one putting you out of business," he said, before leaving the room himself.

* * *

Peter Port waited outside Weiss' office, having arranged a meeting with her "Miss Schnee, Mister Port for you." her assistant said over the intercom, letting her know that he had arrived.

After a few moments, Weiss responded. "Send Him in," she said, prompting her assistant to show Port into the office. She held the door open for him, allowing him to step inside.

Finding Weiss sitting behind her desk waiting for him, Port greeted her "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Schnee." he said, being extremely polite to make signing her easier. She was a big deal, and she needed to be respected if they stood any chance of getting her to sign with them.

Weiss nodded to him "Likewise. Now, I hear you have a proposal for me." she responded. She was polite but made it clear that she wanted to get straight down to business. She was an extremely busy individual, so she couldn't afford to drag the meeting out for too long.

Not wanting to keep her waiting, Port started to explain himself "Indeed. I have been informed that you wish to take your career in a new direction, and I believe I can offer you that." he told her. He hoped that he said the right thing, not wanting to disappoint Ozpin or fail to capture Weiss interest. Getting her on board was highly important, so they needed her to be interested.

Weiss was willing to hear him out. "Alright, you have my attention. Let's hear it," she said. She was curious to hear what he could offer her, not knowing anything other than that he had a proposal.

"As you wish. We are assembling a band made up of some of Remnant's most talented musicians, and we were hoping to make you the lead singer." Port explained. He picked his words carefully, letting her know they considered her to be one of the best.

It was the sort of thing Weiss had wanted to do, but she wasn't just going to throw herself into it. "Interesting. Tell me, who will I be performing with if I accept your offer?" she asked.

"Well Miss Schnee, you are the first person we have approached. Although we do already have a guitarist for the band." Port replied, making it clear that getting her onboard was their priority.

Weiss was pleased with his answer. "Alright. Is this guitarist someone I may have heard of?" she asked him. As much as she liked the idea, she would have to approve of the other people involved if she was going to get involved.

"I believe you will be more familiar with her mother than her. Her name is Ruby Rose." Port said. Ruby was pretty much unknown, whereas her mother had been a household name in her day.

The name Rose rang a bell with Weiss. "The daughter of Summer Rose I assume," she said, making sure that she did in fact have the right person in mind.

Port nodded "Quite right Miss Schnee." he confirmed, somewhat relieved that Weiss knew who he was talking about.

"Intriguing. Does this Ruby, possess the same talent as her mother?" Weiss asked. She knew that Summer Rose had been an extremely skilled guitarist, but that didn't mean her daughter would be the same.

"She most certainly does. In fact, having listened to her. I would say she surpasses Summer." Port responded. Ruby was just as good as, if not better than Summer. He hoped that that would be enough to satisfy Weiss and get her to join.

Weiss had heard enough. "Okay, Mister Port. If that is indeed the case, then I accept your offer. However, I will not be signing any contract until I meet the rest of the band." she told him. She very much liked the idea, but she wouldn't be completely certain about joining until she got to know the other people involved.

Weiss' answer was good enough for Port. "Thank you, Miss Schnee, that is greatly appreciated," he said, with a great sense of relief. She hadn't said no and she actually seemed interested, it was a much better result than he had expected.

"No Mister Port, thank you. This is just the kind of thing I was looking for, and I will happily sign with you provided the rest of the band is up to scratch." Weiss replied. She was grateful for the opportunity and she was excited to see how things went if it went well then Port had just given her exactly what she'd wanted.

Port didn't want to take up any more of her time, so he said "Well, I believe that concludes our business here. I will be in touch when the rest of the band is ready." as he prepared to make his exit.

Weiss smiled at him "I look forward to it. Goodbye Mister Port." she replied. Their meeting had been much more interesting than she had initially thought it would be, and she would eagerly await him contacting her again.

Port smiled back at her, before leaving her office. "Farewell Miss Schnee." were his parting words, as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

In a small cafe in Vale, Bartholomew Oobleck found Blake. She was sitting alone at a table with a book in her hand. "Miss Belladonna?" he asked, trying to get her attention.

Blake didn't even look up from her book, she just sighed heavily and said "Go away. I'm not talking to the press." She was sick and tired of the press bothering her, and she just wanted to be left alone.

Oobleck was taken aback by her response, but he persisted. "I assure you, Miss Belladonna, I'm not a reporter," he told her, hoping it would make her more willing to hear him out.

Blake still didn't look up, she was in no mood for taking. "So your here for an autograph then. Well, I'm afraid the answer is no, I don't do them," she told him, assuming that he was a fan rather than a reporter.

Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere Oobleck decided to just tell her where he was from. "Apologies, but you have me all wrong Miss Belladonna. I'm from Beacon Records," he said, as he placed his business card on her table. He could only hope, that she would be willing to talk now she knew that.

Upon learning the truth, Blake immediately felt bad "Oh, sorry. It's just with everything that's been going on, the press are constantly begging for interviews." she told him. Things had been rough for her since she left the White Fang, and the last thing she had expected was for someone like Oobleck to approach her.

"It's quite alright Miss Belladonna, you have my sympathy," Oobleck responded. He couldn't blame her for her initial reaction, and he genuinely felt bad for her.

Blake was grateful to him for being so understanding. "Thank you. Now, what can I do for you?" she asked him. She had a few ideas about why he was there, but she didn't want to assume.

"Actually, It's more a matter of what I can do for you," Oobleck responded. He was technically asking her to do something, but he liked to think of it more like an offer.

"It is?" Blake asked. She was a little confused, not expecting to hear from a record label so soon after leaving the White Fang.

"Yes, Miss Belladonna. I have a proposal for you if you're willing to hear it." Oobleck explained, trying to clear things up for her.

"Of course, please go ahead," Blake said. She was more than willing to hear him out, interested in whatever he was proposing. She needed an opportunity to move on, so she had to find out more.

"Well, Miss Belladonna. We are assembling a band, and we would like you to be a part of it." Oobleck told her. Sensing her eagerness, he got straight to the point. He was hoping that she would be open to the idea, and wouldn't shut him down immediately.

It took Blake a moment to think of a response. "I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I'll need to know more before I agree to anything." she eventually said. She didn't want to rush into something without knowing enough, not after the problems she had in the White Fang.

"Perfectly understandable Miss Belladonna. I will tell you all I can for the time being." Oobleck agreed. He would tell her everything he could if it would get her on board with the idea.

"Thank you," Blake responded, grateful for his continued kindness and understanding. Things there had been a distinct lack of, during her time with her previous band.

"Currently we have another guitarist and a potential singer. We have Ruby Rose, the daughter of Summer. And we may now have Weiss Schnee." Oobleck was able to tell her, having been informed by Port of what Weiss had said.

Blake was impressed and quickly came to her decision. "Well I've been wanting to move on and I'm intrigued, so I'm in as long as I can work well with the others," she said. If she and the others went well together, then she would have no qualms about joining the band.

Oobleck was happy, it wasn't a definite yes but it was close enough. "In that case. If you wouldn't mind giving me your number, I can contact you when we have everything ready. Then you can meet the others, and see if you can play together." he said. All he needed to seal the deal was to get her details, contact her when she was needed, and hope that she fitted with the others as Ozpin thought.

Blake wrote her number down on a napkin and handed it over "Here's my number, I look forward to hearing from you. Now if you'll please excuse me, I'd like to get back to reading." she said. She was excited to see how the band panned out, but she also couldn't wait to get back to her book.

Having what he came for and not wishing to bother Blake, Oobleck said "Thank you, Miss Belladonna, I hope to see you again soon." before leaving the cafe and allowing her to return to her book.

* * *

A reluctant Glynda Goodwitch entered a bar, having spotted a yellow and black bike outside. "Yang Xiao Long," she said, upon seeing an unmistakable blonde sitting at the bar.

Yang looked up from her drink "That would be me." she said, before picking up her drink and finishing it in one go.

Goodwitch rolled her eyes and sighed internally. "Wonderful, may I take a seat," she asked, trying her best to not sound sarcastic. As much as she didn't like the situation, her job depended on it going well.

Yang patted the stool beside her. "I won't say no to having some company," she responded. She always appreciated having someone to drink with.

"Thank you," Goodwitch said, being as pleasant as she could manage. She didn't care for Yang, so it was a struggle acting as if she did.

"Don't mention it. Now since you already know mine, what's your name hot stuff?" Yang asked her. She was being flirtatious it wasn't particularly serious, she did the same with a lot of people.

"Excuse me?" asked Goodwitch. She knew exactly what Yang had said, and she wasn't happy. But she had to keep her cool and let Yang off, she didn't have much choice.

"I asked you what your name is," Yang told her. She really wanted to know who the older blonde was.

"Glynda, Glynda Goodwitch." Goodwitch introduced herself, trying to get things over and done with as quickly as she could.

"Well Glynda Glynda Goodwitch, what brings you here?" Yang asked. She was curious as to why Goodwitch was there seemingly looking for her.

"It's just Glynda, and I'm here for you actually," Goodwitch told her. Yang wasn't doing herself any favours in her opinion, but she needed to remain civil.

"I know I'm just messing with you. But what do you want from me?" Yang asked. She had already worked out that Goodwitch had been looking for her. She just wanted to know what her reasoning was.

"I've been sent to make you an offer," Goodwitch answered. She was already growing tired of Yang, and they'd only just started talking.

"Sorry G, I don't do threesomes unless I see both people first," Yang responded jokingly. She knew that Goodwitch probably wasn't there for that reason, she was just trying to lighten the mood.

Goodwitch was close to losing it with Yang. "That's not what I meant, please be serious," she said, hoping it would get things back on track.

"Whatever you say G. Now what's this actually about?" Yang questioned, accepting that the conversation was something serious.

"I'm from Beacon Records. We're building a band, and thought you should be the drummer." Goodwitch explained, relieved that Yang was finally being serious.

Yang certainly hadn't been expecting that. "Seriously?" she asked, utterly shocked at the situation. After what happened with her last band, she never expected to have another shot in the music industry.

"Yes, seriously," Goodwitch confirmed. Though she hid it, she was irritated by Yang's disbelief. She had no reason to lie about such a thing.

Yang was extremely excited at the prospect of being in another band. "Sweet. Who else do you have in mind?" she asked. She didn't really care who she would be playing with, but she asked out of curiosity.

"We have your half-sister," Goodwitch said first. With any luck, that would be enough to get Yang onboard and allow her to leave. She really couldn't stand Yang.

Yang was already sold on the idea, but it suddenly became much more appealing to her. "Hell yeah. I'm down for playing with Rubes." She didn't see Ruby very much, so couldn't wait to see her more often and play with her in the band.

"Great. I suppose I should also tell you that we potentially have Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna onboard." Goodwitch added. She hoped that would be enough to bring things to an end.

Yang was impressed and couldn't wait to start playing with them. "Schnee's pretty good, and Blake is awesome. I'm in," she told Goodwitch. She could already picture the band, and she loved it.

Goodwitch couldn't actually believe she'd managed to get Yang onboard so easily. "Really, that's all it took?" she couldn't help asking.

Yang nodded. "Yeah, opportunities like this don't come my way very often and it's one hell of a band you're building," she explained. Opportunities had all but dried for her, and this one was unbelievably good. So, of course, she said yes.

"Alright then. If you give me your number, I'll let you know when we need you." Goodwitch told her, as she prepared to wrap things up and make a swift exit.

Yang wrote her number on a scrap of paper and slid it over to Goodwitch, But she felt like she still owed her something. "Can I get you a drink with that?" she asked.

"Your number will be fine. I don't drink." Goodwitch responded, not wanting to spend another moment around Yang. She couldn't think of much worse, than drinking with the girl.

"Shame, I guess I'll have to get two for me then," Yang said in response. She felt a little bad for not giving Goodwitch anything in return for the opportunity, but she was fine with having the extra drink herself.

Goodwitch really didn't care what Yang did. "Do whatever you want, I'm leaving." She told her, before getting up and heading for the door.

Yang waved to her as she left "See you around G." she said, before getting back to drinking.


	2. Chapter 2

In the Beacon Records Recording Studio, Ruby Rose sat alone waiting for the potential members of her new band to arrive. Ozpin had told her about his plan and she was excited at the prospect, so there she was strumming away on her guitar as her anticipation grew. She didn't know who to expect, but that did nothing to lessen her excitement. She had always wanted to be in a band, so she could follow in her mother's footsteps.

"I really hope this goes well mom, I want to be just like you were," she said. Though her mother was long dead, she still spoke to her like she was there. She always felt like Summer was still with her, guiding her along and keeping her going through every hardship she faced. So she didn't just want things to go well for herself, she also wanted things to go well so she could make Summer proud.

* * *

A big expensive car with blacked-out windows pulled up outside the Beacon Records Recording Studio. A moustached man got out, before opening the back door. "Thank you, Klein, but I can open my own door," Weiss said, as she stepped out of the car.

"Apologies, it has been quite some time since last drove you anywhere," Klein responded. Weiss usually drove herself everywhere, but she was now avoiding it to keep a low profile. She didn't want to be seen by the paparazzi, so kept herself hidden while Klein drove her around.

"It's alright, I just want you to know I'm not trying to take advantage of you. As soon as I'm clear on whether I'm joining this band or not, I'll start driving myself again," she told him. Once everything was cleared up, she would either be in a band and not need to hide it, or she would not be in a band and the media would be none the wiser. So she could stop laying low at that point.

"Well I'm glad to be of assistance until then, is there anything else you require?" Klein asked. He was happy to help Weiss with anything she needed and didn't think of it as her taking advantage of him.

"No thank you, Klein, you've done more than enough. I'll call you when I'm done here." Weiss answered. Not knowing how long she would be in the studio, she didn't want him sitting outside waiting for her.

"Very well. I hope all goes well." Klein told her, before getting back in the car and driving off. He would happily wait outside all day but would do as Weiss asked.

Weiss was about to head inside but stopped when another car pulled up. She had arrived slightly early, and she assumed it was one of the other potential band members arriving on time. She waited for the driver to get out, curious to see who it was.

* * *

Blake instantly recognized the girl standing outside the studio, as she parked her car. It was unmistakably Weiss Schnee. She had been told that she would be there, but she hadn't really expected her to turn up. What was even more unexpected was that Weiss seemed to be waiting for her.

"Weiss Schnee?" She asked when she got out of the car. She already knew it was Weiss, but she still asked if only to confirm she wasn't imagining it.

"That's right, and you're Blake Belladonna if I'm not mistaken," Weiss responded. She knew of Blake thanks to the recent media attention she received when she left The White Fang. She could tell Blake knew who she was, so didn't bother dragging out their introduction.

Blake nodded "I am, It's nice to meet you." She said, extending a hand to Weiss. She was somewhat surprised that the girl knew and seemed to care who she was. It confirmed to her that Weiss was a decent person, and hadn't let her fame go to her head.

Weiss shook Blake's hand "Same to you, I've heard a lot of good things about you." she responded. Thanks to the media coverage of her split from the band, she knew that Blake was an incredibly talented guitarist. So she was glad to meet her, especially if they were going to be working together in a band.

"Well, I hope I don't disappoint you," Blake responded. She needed things to go well, so it was important that Weiss was willing to work with her. The last thing she wanted was to not live up to expectations, and cause the band to fall apart before it even began.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you won't. Now, would I be right in assuming you're also here about this new band?" Weiss asked, really hoping it was the case. If Blake was as good as she was said to be and Ruby had her mother's talent, then she was certain the band would succeed.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm surprised they didn't tell you that already, I knew you were going to be here." Blake told her. She found it odd that she knew more about it than Weiss, despite the fact Weiss had a much higher profile than she did.

"I was only told about Ruby since she was all they had at the time. They could have updated me, but I'm quite glad they didn't. I'm enjoying the mystery of who's going to turn up." Weiss said. Her life was so organized that she never really got surprises, so she was making the most of the rare occurrence.

"So you don't know who the fourth person is either?" Blake asked. She only knew about Ruby and Weiss, she had no idea who the drummer would be. She was shocked by how little Weiss had actually been told if anything she expected Weiss to already be fully informed.

"No, I honestly have no idea who it'll be. But I'm sure we're about to find out." Weiss answered. She didn't know and she couldn't even hazard a guess as she didn't know any drummers. Still, she wasn't too worried as she knew they wouldn't have to wait long to meet whoever it was.

As if on cue a yellow and black bike pulled in, its rider was wearing a helmet but long blonde hair flowed out of it. The rider parked the bike close to the waiting girls, right next to Blake's car. "I'm guessing that's probably her," Blake said.

Weiss nodded in agreement "I think you're right, let's hope this goes well." she said. She found Blake to be agreeable so far, so she hoped the rider was the same. If she wasn't, then the band wouldn't work.

* * *

Arriving at the studio, Yang was pleased to find Blake and Weiss standing outside. Them actually having turned up, meant the band at least had a chance. She needed things to work out, so there was a real sense of relief that the band hadn't fallen at the first hurdle.

After bringing her bike to a stop and removing her helmet, she spoke to the girls. "Hey, you ladies here about the band?" she asked, trying to get things off to a good start. If they didn't like her, they'd probably find a replacement and she would lose her shot at starting over.

Blake and Weiss both nodded "We are. I'm Blake and this is Weiss." Blake said, speaking for both of them. She couldn't put a finger on who she was, but the girl in front of her looked somewhat familiar.

Yang smiled at them and reached out to shake their hands. "Awesome. I'm Yang, I'm hopefully going to be the drummer," she told them. She knew exactly who they were, but she assumed they didn't know her. In some ways that was a relief, as it meant they didn't know about her past.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I look forward to hearing you play," Weiss said, as she shook Yang's hand. She knew how good Blake and Ruby were meant to be, so she assumed that the drummer would be equally talented.

"Thanks, I never thought I'd get to work with you," Yang responded. Weiss was a really big deal and she had a lot of talent, so she really hadn't expected to ever get to play alongside her. After all, she was a washed-up drummer who'd failed to hit the big time.

"I'm sorry, do I know you from somewhere? I feel like I've seen you before and you're name sounds familiar." Blake asked. She was sure she'd heard of a drummer named Yang before, and she was absolutely certain that she'd seen the girl before.

"I don't think we've met, but you might have seen me play before," Yang told her. She was praying that it was the case, she really hoped Blake hadn't heard about the incident at the club. It could put everything in jeopardy, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"That could be it, were you in a band before this?" Blake asked her. It was really bugging her why she recognized Yang. Usually, she was good at remembering people, but she was really struggling in this case.

"Yeah, I was in a punk band called Tock and the Reaper Hunters," Yang answered. There was always a chance Blake had seen her when she was in the band, despite the fact it was never particularly successful.

"Oh now I remember, there was something about you getting kicked out in the news a while ago. I hope it didn't hit you too hard, I know how hard it is to lose something like that." Blake explained. She knew very little about what happened, having not paid to much attention to it at the time. But she still felt bad for her, especially after her experience of leaving the White Fang.

Yang was relieved that Blake seemingly didn't know what she did to get kicked out. "Thanks, I really thought my music career was over after that. Oh and I'm sorry about what happened to you, it can't have been easy leaving the White Fang," she said, trying to quickly change the subject and return Blake's kindness.

"Thank you, Yang, I really appreciate it. I hope we can talk more later. But we should probably head inside now, Ruby will be waiting for us." Blake said. It was nice having someone who'd been through something similar and she was grateful to Yang for her concern, but they really needed to go in and see if the band would work.

"You're right, probably shouldn't leave her waiting too long," Yang said, before heading for the door. Blake and Weiss followed close behind her, eager to get things going. It was going well so far, and they all hoped it would continue to be that way.

* * *

Ruby was starting to wonder if anyone was actually going to show up, she was worried that Ozpin's plan would just be a big failure. But then the door opened, and in walked three people she really hadn't expected to see.

First, there was Weiss Schnee, one of the most successful living singers. Although she wasn't a fan herself, Ruby knew she was incredibly talented, wealthy and famous. It blew her mind that Ozpin was able to get someone like that on board.

Then there was Blake Belladonna, the greatest living guitarist in Ruby's opinion. The White Fang was one of Ruby's favourite bands mainly thanks to Blake, and she was devastated when she left. So she was overwhelmed by her presence, and glad that she hadn't given up on music after quitting the band.

Lastly, there was her own half-sister. She hadn't seen Yang in a while since the blonde moved out of their family home and started her music career. She was aware of Yang's anger issues, drinking problem and firing. But she was still incredibly happy to see her, and knowing they'd play together made her even happier. Together they could follow in the footsteps of their family.

"Yang!" Ruby excited yelled, as she put down her guitar and sprinted over to her. She was excited to meet the others, but Yang came first. Especially since it had been such a long time since they'd last seen each other. She threw her arms around her when she got there, pulling her into a tight hug.

Seeing Ruby again warmed Yang's heart, and she couldn't stop herself from reciprocating the hug. It almost brought a tear to her eye, realizing that Ruby loved her as much as ever despite everything. "Hey Rubes, it's been a while," she said.

"I've missed you so much," Ruby responded, hugging even tighter. Life had been quite lonely without her sister around, and she was extremely happy to have her back.

"I've missed you too, I'm sorry I haven't been around recently," Yang told her, trying her best not to burst into tears. Ruby was pretty much the only person who could make her cry, and she almost did it again. But it wasn't the time for that, not with Weiss and Blake right there.

"It's okay Yang, all that matters is you're here now. Which is awesome by the way, I can't wait to start playing with you again." Ruby replied. She wasn't mad at Yang for her absence, especially now. She couldn't believe Yang was going to be the band's drummer, but she absolutely loved the idea.

"Thanks, Rubes, I can't wait to play with you again either. I was completely sold on this idea when I found out you were involved, it's going to be the most fun I've had in a long time." Yang said. She was grateful for Ruby's forgiveness and was now extremely excited about playing together as they had done as kids.

"You two already know each other?" Weiss asked, not expecting any of the potential band members to know each other on a personal level. It was a pointless question as the answer was already clear, but she couldn't help herself.

"Oh, right. Weiss, Blake. Meet Ruby Rose, my sister. Ruby, meet Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna." Yang said, having almost forgotten the other two people in the room.

"It's nice to meet you, Ruby, I've heard great things about you," Weiss said, extending a hand to the girl when she stopped hugging Yang. Given that they looked nothing alike, she was surprised that Ruby and Yang were related. But she didn't bother questioning them further, wanting to get on with introductions.

"Same to you, it's crazy they managed to get you on board. I mean you're such a big deal, and you're so good." Ruby responded as she shook Weiss' hand. She was blown away by the calibre of the people she'd be playing with, Ozpin has truly outdone himself.

"Thank you, but you really don't need to be so complimentary. Anyway, I wanted to take my career in a new direction, and I was told you were an excellent guitarist. So I couldn't say no." Weiss told her, she liked being complimented on her talent and success as much as anyone would, but she heard it so much she was getting tired of it.

"Sorry about that, I'm just a little overwhelmed. Also, I hope I don't disappoint you when you hear me play." Ruby told her, really not wanting to ruin things by failing to impress the others.

"Relax, I strongly doubt any of you will disappoint me. I don't think they would have picked you if they didn't think you were good enough." Weiss reassured Ruby and the other girls, she was just as nervous about the success of the band as they were.

Blake extended her own hand to Ruby, once the conversation with Weiss ended. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ruby, I look forward to seeing what you can do." She said to the girl. Getting a closer look, she was blown away by how much Ruby looked like her mother.

"The pleasure's all mine, I'm like your biggest fan. I never thought I'd get to meet you, and I can't believe I get to play alongside you. You're so awesome." Ruby responded. As much as she didn't want to, she was fangirling over Blake. In her wildest dreams, she'd never imagined the situation would ever arise, but there she was.

"Thanks, I hope you know that your mother was a huge inspiration to me," Blake told her. She was struggling to contain her joy, at hearing that the daughter of Summer Rose was a fan of hers. Now she couldn't wait to play with Ruby, especially if she'd inherited her mother's abilities.

"That really means a lot, I know mom would be proud that she was able to inspire someone so talented," Ruby said. It was amazing to hear that Blake was inspired by the same person who inspired her, it made her an even bigger fan of the girl. It also filled her with a lot of pride for her mother, knowing she was still so influential even in death.

"I'm sure she'd feel the same about you, she'd be so pleased to see you taking after her. I know I am." Blake replied. Whatever happened to Summer, Blake could tell she was looking down on them and driving them towards success. With that in mind, there was no way the band could fail.

Blake's words really hit home for Ruby, and tears of joy started flowing. Her dreams were coming true, and she was really going to make her mother proud. "Thank you so much, all of you. This is the best day of my life, now let's get this show on the road," she said.

"Hell Yeah!" Yang shouted, and with that, they headed over to where the instruments were set up. It was the moment of truth, would the band work out?

* * *

With Yang sitting at the drum set, Ruby and Blake holding guitars, and Weiss standing at the microphone, the girls prepared to play together for the first time. There was only one problem "So, what should we play?" Ruby asked.

None of them had any immediate suggestions for what to play, but Weiss had an idea. "Why don't we start by showing each other what we can do, and then go from there?" she asked.

"Sounds like a plan," Yang told her, with the other two nodding in agreement. It was probably a good idea to see each other play, before trying to play as one.

"Alright. Who wants to start?" Weiss asked them. She would happily go first, but she was excited to see the others in action.

"Can I start?" Ruby asked eagerly. She really wanted to play for them all, to show Blake and Weiss what she could do, and to show Yang how much she'd improved since the last time they played together.

"Of course," Weiss answered, looking forward to experiencing Ruby's talent for herself.

"Go ahead," Blake added. Everything she'd heard about Ruby, made her eager to hear her play.

"Go for it Rubes, I love hearing you play," Yang told her. The fact they hadn't seen each other in so long, meant that she couldn't wait to hear her sister play again.

"Thanks, guys." responded a grateful Ruby, as she prepared herself to start playing. She had the perfect thing in mind, to show off her guitar skills.

With the attention of the others focused solely on her, Ruby started to play. She picked at the strings a couple of times, before breaking into Eruption.

Her fingers worked quickly but precisely, as she played from memory. She put her heart and soul into the performance, to make her mother proud and impress her current audience.

She and the instrument made a perfect team, producing music that most guitarist could only ever dream of. She made no mistakes, and it did exactly as it was told.

Towards the end, Ruby didn't even need to look at the guitar. Her hands moved on muscle memory alone, as she closed her eyes and let her other senses take over.

It wasn't long before it came to an end, with the guitar releasing its final cry. When the silence fell, Ruby was left standing there with her eyes still closed, not really wanting it to be over.

The other three stood looking at her for a few moments in stunned silence, having been blown away by how good she was. But soon they broke the silence, with their applause.

"That was incredible Rubes. I mean you were good last time I heard you, but that was something else." Yang said, utterly shocked and greatly impressed by the masterful musician her sister had become.

"You've definitely inherited your mother's talent, that was great," Blake added. She had expected something good, but Ruby was much better than just good.

"I was right, you didn't disappoint me, Ruby. That was incredible." Weiss then said, unable to think of high enough praise for what she had just witnessed.

"You guys really mean that?" Ruby asked, overwhelmed by the response. The three people in front of her were all extremely talented, yet they were showering her with compliments.

"Of course we do, you're an excellent guitarist," Weiss told her, with Blake and Yang nodding in agreement. They all thought she was great.

"Thanks, that means a lot coming from you," Ruby said to the three of them. "Who's going next." she then asked, wanting to hear them play as much as she had wanted to play for them.

"I'll go unless either of you wants to." Blake volunteered. Having heard Ruby play, she was now sure things would work out. So she couldn't wait to get started.

"That's fine with me," Weiss told her, not overly concerned with the order in which they went.

"Same here," Yang added. She already knew how good Blake was, but she was still looking forward to seeing it in person.

With that, Blake nodded to them and prepared to play. She knew exactly what she wanted to play, something she loved playing but never had a chance to in the White Fang.

With her guitar ready to go, she started playing Voodoo Child. She knew it off by heart, so she had no issues making the instrument do exactly what she wanted.

As she played, her love for music returned. She'd almost given up on it after leaving the band, but now she just wanted to start again with the three she was playing for.

She went into an almost trance-like state, something she usually did when she played. She was so used to playing, that she didn't need to put much thought into what she was doing to get it right.

She only really started thinking again when she finished playing. Then she focused on her audience again, waiting for their reaction. She enjoyed playing it, so she really hoped they enjoyed listening just as much.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen, you're so awesome, Blake." Ruby gushed. She was a huge fan of hers already but seeing Blake play like that made her an even bigger fan.

"I knew you were good, but that was so much better than I expected." Yang then said. She had heard Blake playing as part of the White Fang, but she seemed to be so much better now.

"That was impressive, you really live up to your reputation," Weiss added. She hadn't actually heard Blake play before, but she had heard good things about her.

"Thanks, I'm glad you liked it," Blake told them. She was relieved that they all reacted so positively.

"Well, It would be hard to not like that," Yang responded. She couldn't emphasize enough, just how good Blake was. "Now do you want to go next, or should I?" she then asked Weiss.

"Oh, you can go first if you want. I can wait." Weiss answered. While she didn't mind going first, she was curious to see Yang could do with the drums.

"Alright, I guess I'll go now then," Yang said, as she picked up the drumsticks ready to start playing.

After thinking for a moment about what to play, it came to her. Before she was forced out of her previous band, they had been considering moving from punk to metal. So she decided to play something they had practised repeatedly. Raining Blood.

She could hear the song playing in her head and knew exactly what she needed to do. So she was soon unleashing on onslaught on the drums, the likes of which the particular set had never experienced.

Her adrenaline levels spiked from the thrill, making it easier for her to maintain the necessary speed and strength, and compelling her to start headbanging in time with the music.

She vanished into a cloud of blond hair, as she beat the instrument into submission. She was loving every second of it, putting everything she had into it.

For a few straight minutes, she kept going at it hard. Lesser drummers may have struggled to endure the strain of what she was doing, but she was made for it.

She kept going at full intensity until the very end, and even then she wanted to keep going. Only stopping for the sake of the others.

After putting the sticks down, she just sat there with a big smile on her face. She was happier than she had been in a long time, no matter what her audience thought.

"That was awesome!" Ruby blurted out, unable to hold it back. She always thought that when she saw her sister play, but it had been a while and it seemed like Yang was better than she remembered.

"I'll have to agree with Ruby on that," Blake added. She was impressed, very impressed by Yang. She really liked the idea of play with her and Ruby.

"That was impressive. How do keep that up?" Weiss asked, knowing she couldn't possibly do what Yang just had.

"A lot of practice and a lot of working out," Yang explained. It took a lot of effort to reach the point she was at and maintain it.

"Well, it seems to be paying off for you," Weiss told her. The effort Yang had put in really showed in her performance.

"Thanks. Anyway, I think it's your turn to show us what you can do." Yang responded. She knew Weiss would be good, but she still wanted to hear her.

Weiss nodded "Alright, this is a song I've recorded before but never released." she said, as she made sure the microphone was on.

Then she started singing, a song she considered releasing to start moving her career in a new direction. Behind Blue Eyes.

Just like the others, she could do it from memory and she gave it her all. She sang as if her life depended on it because she really wanted to impress.

She had been losing her enthusiasm for singing before Beacon approached her, but it all came rushing back after listening to the others.

Some people would have paid thousands to hear her sing like she was, but she didn't care about that. She just wanted the band to work out, and that was all she was hoping for as she sang the final note.

As soon as Weiss finished, the other three started applauding her. They all knew she was an extremely good singer, but they could tell there was something special about what she'd just done.

"That was better than I expected," Blake said. She had high expectations for Weiss, but somehow her expectations were exceeded.

"Yeah, that was great Weiss," Yang added, being of the same opinion as Blake. She had never been a fan of Weiss music, until that moment.

"I can't wait to play with you, Weiss." Ruby then said, now even more excited about the band than she had been. She thought Weiss was as good at what she did, as the others were at what they did.

"Thank you. I'm so glad I agreed to do this." Weiss told them all. She was grateful for everything they said, and please with how well things had gone.

"I think we all feel that way," Blake responded, fairly confident that Ruby and Yang were just as enthusiastic as she and Weiss were.

"You're damn right we do," Yang said, with Ruby nodding in agreement. They all felt like it was going really well, and they were all more onboard with the band idea than ever.

"Alright then. It looks like the band is happening." Weiss started. "So what should we play first?" she then asked. They were all completely sold on the idea, and they'd all showed what they could do individually. So it was time to play together, as soon as they worked out what to play.

"Well, I think it has to be something we all already know," Blake commented. It needed to be that way, so they didn't have to quickly learn anything before they started.

"You're right, and I think I may actually have one," Weiss replied. There was another song she had recorded but never released, and she was sure the others would know it.

"What is it?" Yang asked, somewhat surprised that Weiss had come up with something so quickly."

"Mr. Crowley," Weiss responded. "Do you know it?" she then asked, hoping they would all answer yes.

All three of them nodded, but none of them could really believe that Weiss suggested it. "We all know it, but it's kind of surprising you do," Yang told her.

Weiss was glad they knew it and understood why they were surprised that she knew it. "I know it's not my usual style, but I wanted to try something new and move on from my old style. I recorded it once, but the backing band wasn't good enough to make it work," she explained.

"Well you made a good choice, and I'm sure you won't have the same problem now," Yang told her, more than happy about the choice of song. It actually made her like Weiss more than she already did.

"Thank you, Yang." Weiss gratefully responded, before asking "So are you all okay with playing it?"

"I'm more than okay with it," Blake told her. She really liked the song, it was another one she never got a chance to do with the White Fang.

"Me too. We just need to decide what me and Blake are doing." Ruby added, pointing out the fact that they would effectively be sharing the roles of lead guitarist and rhythm guitarist.

"How about you do the first solo, I do the second solo, and we play together for the rest of it?" Blake suggested, wanting to share with Ruby.

"Yeah, let's do that." Ruby agreed. They both knew the song well enough, that they understood exactly what each other would be doing.

"Alright then. It looks like we're ready to go when you are Weiss." Blake said, having worked things out with Ruby and seeing that Yang was ready to go.

Weiss gave a nod in response. "We don't have a keyboard set up, so we'll be skipping that part." she then said. She could have played the intro herself if there was a keyboard available and set up correctly, but there wasn't so she couldn't.

"We don't need it anyway, we'll be good enough without it," Ruby responded. It would be their own unique version of the song, and it would be good.

"You're right," Weiss told Ruby. "Now on the count of three, let's do this." she then said. She was ready and so were the rest of them.

"One, Two, Three." counted Weiss, before kicking things off. All four of them started in perfect synchronization and kept it up.

Weiss sang as if her life depended on it, Yang kept going through the whole thing, and the two guitarists played their hearts out.

They played together like a band that had been together for years. It was very clear that the band would work, to the four of them and to Ozpin who turned up to watch and listen.

When they finally finished playing, they were met with applause from Ozpin. He liked what he had heard and seen, and felt like he'd found the label's saviours.

"That was excellent, especially for your first time playing together," he told them. "I hope this means you're all now ready to sign contracts and make this official?" he then asked, eager to sign them and get things rolling as soon as possible.

"I'm in," Yang told him before anyone else had a chance to respond. There was no way she could possibly say no, she would be throwing away the best opportunity she would ever get if she did.

"Me too." Ruby then said, despite the fact she had already signed with the label before the band was even thought of.

"You can count me in too." Blake then told Ozpin. She wouldn't dream of saying no, she knew her future lay with the band.

Finally, it came down to Weiss, the band needed her. Fortunately, she was sold on the idea. "I'll need my lawyer to look over the contract, but I'm also in," she said. She would get her lawyer there as soon as possible, so she could quickly sign the contract and they could get things going.

"Excellent. Please allow me to welcome you in advance to Beacon Records." Ozpin responded, delighted and relieved by the outcome. The plan was working.

* * *

**I've included a list of the songs featured in the chapter, so you can listen to them and get an idea of what they were playing. I think I'll do this in every chapter where I feature an actual song and not something I make up.**

**Eruption by Van Halen**

**Voodoo Child (Slight Return) by The Jimi Hendrix Experience**

**Raining Blood by Slayer**

**Behind Blue Eyes by The Who**

**Mr. Crowley by Ozzy Osbourne**


	3. Chapter 3

A month after the band was formed, after weeks of practising together, it was time for their first performance together. Ozpin had pulled out all the stops and used a significant chunk of the label's money and resources, to arrange a debut performance that would hopefully skyrocket the band to success. Beacon Records' rarely use concert hall was set up for them, and industry figures were flown in from all over the world to see them. There were critics, journalists, artists and other celebrities from as far as Menagerie, coming to see them perform live for the first time.

So far those who had been invited had been kept almost completely in the dark by Ozpin, only being told that they were coming to see Beacon Records' newest act performing for the first time. They didn't even know if they were coming to see a solo artist or a band, that was how secretive the label was being about the band. Fortunately, they had all agreed to attend, mainly out of sheer curiosity, which was just how Ozpin wanted it.

Backstage the girls were getting ready, not knowing how to feel about what they were about to do. They had practised playing together a lot since they agreed to sign with the label and they certainly didn't lack talent, but they were all still at least slightly nervous because they and the label really needed things to go well. If the audience didn't like them, then the band was doomed to fail and Beacon Records' would be in serious trouble.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this, it didn't seem real until now," Ruby said to the others, as she put on the boots which completed her outfit. Until this point, they had been forced to do everything in secret, and the only time they had been able to see each other was when they were practising together. The reality that they were actually going to perform together for a live audience, didn't hit her until now.

"I agree, Sis, we kept everything so quiet I wasn't sure if we'd ever actually reach this point," Yang responded, as she stretched her arms and warmed them up ready for what she was about to put them through. She was of the same opinion as her sister, the level of secrecy they had been forced to adhere to by Ozpin had made performing for an audience seem more like an idea than something they were actually going to do.

"Thank the Gods we can finally stop hiding this from everyone, keeping this from the press was a complete nightmare," added Weiss, who was busy playing with her hair, which was down for once. Getting to and from practice without being seen had been hard for her since the paparazzi always tried to follow her wherever she went, so it was a relief that she would no longer have to hide.

"I'm pretty sure the press will still be a nightmare after this, but hopefully it'll be for different reasons," responded Blake, who was fully prepared to perform and was now sitting reading a book which she had somehow managed to smuggle backstage. She was right, the press would be all over them after this, but hopefully, it would be because they did well and were on track to become the next big thing.

Weiss sighed and said, "You're probably right, they never let up." She had enough experience to know that whatever happened, there would always be people wanting to know exactly what she was up to at all times, and that would be extended to the others as soon as they became associated with her. But like Blake, she was hopeful that the attention would be for a good reason after their performance.

"Don't worry about the press, I'll handle them. I'm pretty good at sending people running when I need to." Yang assured everyone. She could be incredibly intimidating and just plain terrifying when she wanted to be, so she was fairly certain that she could scare off anyone who tried to invade their privacy or follow them around.

"Yang please don't start threatening journalists, we want them to like us." Ruby reminded her sister, not wanting her to get in trouble or give the band or herself a bad name. While she didn't like the idea of being pursued constantly by the paparazzi, she didn't want Yang getting aggressive with them, after all, they would have security for that purpose if they got big enough.

"Relax Rubes, I was kidding, I'll just distract them for you with my good looks," Yang told her, before posing for her sister. She had a way of getting everyone in a room to look at her if she wanted them to, so she could easily use that to distract the press and allow the others to slip away while they took pictures and begged for interviews.

* * *

Before anyone could respond to Yang, someone came to tell them that they were on as soon as Ozpin finished introducing them. Ozpin was currently on the stage addressing the packed room. "I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight, I hadn't expected such a great turnout give all the secrecy. Anyway, I want to assure you that you haven't wasted your time coming here, what you're about to witness is the culmination of a lot of time and effort, and hopefully, it will go down in history as Beacon Records' greatest success since STRQ." he started.

Anticipation grew in the audience as Ozpin spoke, with people desperate to see what Ozpin was making such a big deal out of. It was going to have to be something special to live up to the hype that was being built for it, something spectacular.

"Now I know many of you will think I'm exaggerating and you probably doubt that anything to live up to your expectations. But I can assure you that I have found the next big thing and I'm willing to stake my career on it, what you're about to see is what I hope to be Beacon Records' greatest success since STRQ." Ozpin continued, making it clear how much faith he had in the band and how important it was that they were successful.

The audience didn't know what to think. Either Ozpin had finally lost it with the industry and wanted to go out in style, or he had actually come across something big and they were about to see history in the making.

"Anyway, I think I've taken up quite enough of your time. So, Without further ado, please allow me to introduce Beacon Records' newest signings." Ozpin finished, before making a hasty exit from the stage. The light all went down the moment he got of the stage, shrouding the stage in complete darkness so the audience couldn't see a thing."

* * *

A few moments later a spotlight came on, revealing a girl with black and red hair standing on the stage with a guitar. She wore black pants and black boots along with a black sleeveless shirt with roses on. She was an unknown to most of the audience, but some recognized her as the daughter of Summer Rose, and others could certainly see the similarity.

Another spotlight came on a moment later, revealing a blonde girl sitting behind a drum set. She was dressed the same as the guitarist, apart from the fact her shirt had yellow dragons on it rather than roses. Some of the audience recognized her as the troubled daughter of Raven Branwen, while others knew her as the disgraced former drummer of a small-time punk band, but many didn't know who she was.

A moment later a third spotlight came on, getting a shocked reaction from the audience when they saw who it revealed. Standing on the stage with a guitar and dresses the same as the other two except for her shirt having purple flowers on, was none other than Blake Belladonna. The audience couldn't believe what they were seeing, having been fairly certain that she had given up on music completely after leaving the White Fang.

Before the audience could fully digest the fact that Blake was there, a fourth and final spotlight came on. If what the last one had revealed had been a shock, what this one revealed blew the mind of every single person in the audience. Standing on the stage and dressed exactly like the other except for having snowflakes on her shirt, was Weiss Schnee with a microphone in her hand. The audience really couldn't believe their eyes.

Unfazed by the audience's reactions, the band went straight into their first song. They had been allowed to choose which songs they played, and this one had been suggested by Weiss as one of her personal favourites. Ruby started on her guitar before being joined seconds later by Blake, then Yang joined in and with that, the band broke into Barracuda.

The three instrumentalists played their way through the song perfectly, playing together without any issues. Weiss meanwhile, sang her heart out, putting all of her passion into it. They had practised the song many times and they all loved it, so they went at it as if their lives depended on it and they enjoyed every minute of it, the audience was just along for the ride.

The audience was enthralled, seeing Weiss in a way nobody had seen her before, and hearing the others play their instruments with masterful skill. The band worked together like a finely tuned machine, and the music they produced was world-class. The end of the song came far too soon for most of the audience, who could have listened to hours.

Once the first song came to an end, the band only took a momentary breather before going into the next one. This one was a suggestion of Yang's, one they'd all agreed with. Yang, Blake and Ruby remained silent for the first few moments, as Weiss started singing. Then Yang started quietly drumming along, then the three of them started singing in harmony with Weiss. Finally, they all started playing along, the song was Renegade.

The four of them played and sang with just as much passion and skill as they had the first, they were really enjoying themselves and starting to show off. They were completely ignoring the audience's reactions, just showing them and letting them hear exactly what they could do.

The audience was liking what they were hearing and seeing so far, Weiss and Blake were as good as expected and the other two were quickly proving themselves to be just as talented. By the end of the second song, they were starting to see what Ozpin had been talking about, the band just needed to continue as they started.

It was soon time for the third song, which the band again went straight into. This time the song was one that Ruby had suggested, it wasn't one they all knew initially but they soon grew to like it. The guitars and drums started right away this time, doing quite a few seconds of instrumental before Weiss eventually came in. The third song was Rain.

At this point they just blocked out the existence of the audience and focused completely on the music, they put their all into it and it sounded great. If any of them had any doubts about what they could do, those doubts had now faded and they just kept on playing.

The audience could now tell why Ozpin had been so confident, the band was very obviously more than your average band, each of them was extremely talented on their own and their skills only amplified when playing together. So the music was better than anything the label had put out in recent memory.

Eventually, Rain came to an end, meaning it was time for song four. This was one of Blake's suggestions, a song she really liked but not one any of the others knew. Of course, it was soon one they all liked once they started playing it, and they put just as much effort in as they did with the other songs. It started out with Blake and Ruby quietly plucking away, the Yang came in a few seconds later, and at last, Weiss started singing. The song was The Killing Moon.

The instrumentalists played on in the background while Weiss sang with more emotion than ever before, there was a lot of weight behind Weiss' singing and the others were just there to help her through the song. They played through the entire song without paying any attention to the audience, with Blake and Weiss actually going through a lot of it with their eyes closed.

By now, the audience couldn't deny that the band worked perfectly together. Ozpin clearly knew what he was doing, he had assembled a band the couldn't have fitted together better. Watching them play was something else, other bands paled in comparison to them.

The band started off with song five almost immediately after The Killing Moon finished. This one was another of Blake's suggestions, it was one that hit close to home for her because she thought about her past when she played it, but she insisted that they played it and the others of course agreed. The guitars and drums started off quietly and stayed that way as Weiss started singing with as much passion as she had for the previous song. The song was Love Hurts.

Just like they had with the previous song, the instrumentalist stayed in the background and allowed Weiss to sing with all her heart and soul, channelling Blake's emotions. That being said, they did have their own moments throughout the song so it wasn't completely dominated by Weiss.

The audience was really feeling the emotion in Weiss' voice and they could tell the song actually meant something, the other three just helped her to convey the message. She certainly hadn't lost any of her singing ability since she stopped being a solo act, in fact, her voice sounded better than it ever had before as far as the audience was concerned.

Weiss took a short breather before the next song, but soon enough they were on to song six. This was one they all liked, so of course, they were going to play it. The guitars and drums started off quietly again, but it wasn't long before Weiss was singing and the others were joining her. Song six was The Chain.

This was another one where the existence of the audience was completely blocked out, as the band put their all into it. At various points through the song, Weiss, Ruby and Blake all closed their eyes and completely immersed themselves in the music. Towards the end of the song, the guitarists were showing what they could do and they were all singing.

The audience sat in complete silence and just watched, at this point all that they cared about watching and listening. Each member of the band was giving a masterclass in how to do what they did, not that anyone else would be able to come close to matching them without years of intensive training.

Next up was another Blake suggestion, one the others all agreed with because it really let the guitarists do their thing without leaving the other two out. It started out with the guitars and soon Yang was joining in with a bell that had been added to her drum kit, Weiss joined in a little further into the song. Song seven was Little Wing.

The four of them went through it expertly, with the guitarists really getting to show off for the others and for the audience. It wasn't a particularly long song, but they enjoyed every moment of playing it, especially Blake and Ruby, they didn't really want it to end.

The audience couldn't help but admire the skills of the guitarists, it was really quite the experience, seeing them at work. They were two of the best guitarists in the world, if not the best. But it came to an end all too soon, and the band quickly moved on to the next one.

Song eight was one that Yang had suggested because she got to do her thing. The others had no objections, so that was what they were playing. It wasn't just Yang who got to do a thing, there was plenty for the guitars to do and no shortage of singing for Weiss to do. The song was Radar Love.

As Yang drummed along she disappeared into a cloud of her own her, but that didn't stop her. The others played their way through it with her, getting into it almost as much as she did. Yang kept on going through the whole thing without tiring, and so did the others. They were having so much fun that they didn't feel any more tired than they had started, in fact, they had more energy now than they had then.

The audience was loving it just as much as the band was, some of them were struggling to resist the urge to dance. Ozpin had to be right about them being the label's greatest success since STRQ, they were proving to be on a similar level to the old band. They were going to go a long way once the night was over and the world got to hear them.

The time soon came for the penultimate song of the night, one that was suggested by Yang which the others had agreed with as soon as she suggested it. It started off with the guitars, with Weiss coming in soon after, Yang came in a little further in. The ninth song was Every Rose Has Its Thorn.

Ruby, Blake and Weiss had a lot more to do for this one than Yang did, but they did it well and Yang helped them out. They played with as much skill and passion as they had for the first eight songs. They were almost at the end of the night now, and they were still doing their best and loving every second of it. They didn't really want it to end.

A lot of people in the audience were now so lost in the music that they had their arms in the air swaying side to side in time with the music, they were acting like die-hard fans of the band and many of them soon would be. The band just had a way of getting through to people with their music, the sound was both hypnotic and addictive, and the audience just couldn't get enough.

Finally, it came time for the band to play their final song, a sing that Ruby had absolutely insisted that they had to play as their last song of the night. The instruments started straight away, soon joined by Weiss. The tenth and final song was, Then Came the Last Days of May.

The pace of the song was slow, but everyone had their parts to play and they all had their chances to demonstrate their skills. This one was another where Blake, Ruby and Weiss all had their eyes closed at various points, even Yang got lost in the music at one point. The feeling of playing was almost spiritual, but unfortunately, it soon came to an end.

By the end, pretty much the entire audience had been put in a trance-like-state by the music. What they had just experienced was something truly special, something they would absolutely spread the word about. The praise of the band couldn't be sung highly enough, and Ozpin's career and reputation were both well and truly safe. Once they realized the band was done playing, the sound of applause from the entire audience was completely deafening, but they couldn't help applauding what them after a performance like that.

* * *

The band left their instruments behind and headed to the front of the stage and taking a bow, they were soon joined by Ozpin. They stood there for a while as the audience continued to applaud them, but eventually, Ozpin spoke. "Thank you all, I hope you can now see what all the fuss was about. Now, I think it's time for the band to introduce themselves," he said, before stepping back and allowing the girls to speak.

First to introduce herself was by far the most well-known member of the band. "Hello everyone, I'm Weiss Schnee," Weiss said, acting like she wasn't already so well know, this was a new Weiss as far as she was concerned, one that everyone didn't already know.

Next to speak was the band's second most well-known member. "Hi, I'm Blake Belladonna." she introduced herself. Like Weiss, she acted like an unknown, this Blake was a new Blake, she wasn't the same person who'd played the guitar for the White Fang.

Yang was next to introduce herself. "Hey, I'm Yang Xiao Long," she said, dispelling any questions the audience had about who she was, now they realized that she was in fact the daughter of Raven Branwen and Taiyang Xiao Long.

Finally, it was time for Ruby to introduce herself to everyone. "Hi, I'm Ruby Rose," she said, before giving the audience an awkward wave. That was all it took for most of the audience to make the connection and realize who she was, the daughter of Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long.

As soon as they had introduced themselves, a big screen came on behind them. Pictures of each of them appeared on it, first Ruby, then Weiss, then Blake, and finally Yang. Then Ozpin stepped forward and said "I'm sure many of you are wondering about the name of the band, and now I can tell you. We would like to think of it as the successor to STRQ, so we named in it the same way, this is RWBY." The name of the band flashed up on the screen the moment he said it.

After much deliberation, the girls and Ozpin had decided to name the band RWBY. They used each of their first initials to make the name, just like STRQ had. They did it to honour the memory of Summer and Raven, and to follow in the footsteps of the most successful band in history.

There was another roaring applause from the audience after the reveal, and with that, the girls of RWBY finally made their way off the stage. They were all still high on excitement and adrenaline as they made their way backstage. As soon as they got backstage they were met by Port, Oobleck and Goodwitch, who all gave them their own applause. "I have to say, that went far better than I expected. Keep it up." Goodwitch said to them, finally starting to come around to the idea of the band.

"That was rather impressive, you reminded me of STRQ," Port added. He had seen STRQ playback in their day, and RWBY had just taken him right back to those days. He was sure that great things lay in the bands future, and he was sure they could save the label.

The Oobleck said, "That was quite the performance, you certainly impressed the audience." It had been the best thing he'd seen in a long time, and he was sure the audience felt the same. It was going to be remembered by a lot of people for a long time, and word of the band would soon get out and make them a household name.

The three of them made a hasty exit after that, leaving the girls to relax after what had been the performance of their lifetimes. Soon the four girls were left alone, for the first time since they'd went on stage. While it was a relief that they hadn't exceeded expectations and not let themselves of Ozpin down, it was quite disappointing that it was over.

* * *

After a few moments of complete silence as the girls came to terms with what had just happened, Ruby spoke. "That was the most awesome thing I've ever done, I can't believe we really just did it." she was the happiest she had been in a long time, her dream was coming true and she was certain that Summer would have been extremely proud of her and the others for what they had just done.

"You're damn right it was awesome, we just blew the minds of every big music critic and journalist in Remnant," Yang responded excitedly, giving Ruby a high five as she spoke. After what they had done on that stage, she had no doubts in her mind about the band's chances of succeeding, together they were an unstoppable music-making force of nature.

"That was the most fun I've had in a long time, I actually can't remember last time I enjoyed playing this much," Blake commented. She couldn't remember a time in the White Fang when she had enjoyed playing as much as she had enjoyed playing with Yang, Ruby and Weiss. She knew that playing with the band was what she was meant to do, she was meant to be a part of RWBY.

"You all did great, I knew you were good from our practices, but that what you did out there was incredible. Having you out there with me felt so much better than when I performed alone, I think this band is meant to be." Weiss told the others, having enjoyed performing just as much as they had and having been stunned herself by how good each of them was with their instrument of choice. She couldn't help herself complimenting them for their skills and telling them how much she loved performing with them.

"The band is definitely meant to be, and by the way, you were pretty incredible out their yourself. I mean I knew you could sing, but what you did out there was way beyond just singing, I'm pretty sure everyone in that room felt your words." Yang shot back at Weiss, not wanting to leave her out. She could tell that Weiss had put all of her heart and soul into her singing, and the results had been spectacular.

"You really mean that?" Weiss asked, not expecting such a compliment from Yang. She was extremely grateful to her for saying it, it assured her that she had pulled her own weight and hadn't let the others do all the work. She felt as much a part of the band as the rest of them, even if she didn't play an instrument as they did, and Yang only strengthened that feeling.

"Of course I mean it Weiss, your singing out there was way better than anything you've done before, that had more emotion and power behind it than anything I've heard from you in the past," Yang assured her. She could tell that Weiss hadn't been as passionate about what she was doing during her solo career, the difference between her singing then and know was blatantly obvious, now she cared more about what she was doing and she sounded much better because of it.

"She's right Weiss, it felt like you really meant every word you sang, that's not something I felt in your voice before," Blake added. Yang wasn't the only one who noticed the change in Weiss, she noticed it too. Weiss had genuinely improved as a singer since she switched from being a soloist to a lead singer, it was like she was always meant to singing in a band rather than constantly churning out soulless pop song after soulless pop song as she had been.

"Thank you, you don't know how much that means to me," Weiss said to them, blown away by their kindness. She did feel more passion for what she was doing now that she was with the band, but hearing that the others had noticed the change in her made her feel wonderful. If she had any second thoughts about being in the band, they were not thoughts she was going to entertain. Each member of the band belonged exactly where they were.

"You don't need to thank us, we're just being honest with you Weiss," Yang told her. "Now, I think a little celebration is in order after that. But first, we should probably get changed." she then added. If there was ever a reason to celebrate, what they had just done was it. But first, they needed to get out of their outfits and back into their normal clothing.

"Sounds like a plan," Blake responded. Unusually for her, she was actually up for a celebration, she was more than happy to celebrate with her bandmates. But she also agreed with Yang that it would be best to get changed beforehand, so they weren't spending any more time then they needed to in their now sweat-soaked outfits.

With that settled, the four of them each went to their own dressing rooms to change. Thanks to the intensity of the lighting and their performance, their outfits were uncomfortably damp with sweat, and none of them could wait to change back into their regular clothing. The celebrating could wait until after they were changed.

* * *

Soon enough they were all back together, wearing their normal clothes again. "So what should we do?" Ruby asked, wondering how they were actually going to celebrate. She was up for almost anything as long as there was no alcohol involved, she really didn't want to see Yang drinking, her sister had a real problem with alcohol and she didn't want that to ruin what was one of the best moments of their lives.

"I hadn't actually considered that there isn't much we can really do here," Yang responded. She had been so lost in the moment that she hadn't actually thought about what they were going to do to celebrate, she just wanted to celebrate with the others. A normal celebration for her involved a lot of drinking, but she felt no compulsion to do that this time and there was nothing to drink even if she did.

"We could just get to know each other better, we haven't really had the chance with all the practice and secrecy," Blake suggested, happy to settle for whatever the others wanted to do. She did want a chance to get more familiar with others, as she was running low on friends after leaving the White Fang and because she and the others had spent most of their time together practising and discussing things related to the band.

"That sounds like fun, and we should get to know each other better since we're probably going to be spending a lot more time together now." Weiss agreed, wanting to get to know them all just as much as Blake did. It was rare that she got an opportunity to have a normal conversation with people who saw her as an equal and weren't only talking to her because of her fame and wealth.

"Let's do that then, I wouldn't mind getting to know you guys better," Yang said to them. She liked both of them a lot and wanted to know them better, it made sense to do it since as Weiss pointed out, they would be spending a lot more time together. As members of the same band, they would basically be stuck with each other for the foreseeable future.

"Alright, what do we do?" Weiss asked, not being too sure herself of how to actually go about things. Normally people the only time anyone actually asked her about herself during interviews, she really wasn't used to casually conversing with people.

"We just talk, like friends do," Yang told her. She could see that Weiss was out of her depth, she'd obviously been so isolated from other people by her fame and wealth. She would have to do something about that, she wouldn't allow Weiss to remain isolated now that the band was a thing.

"Sorry, I kind of forgot how to be a normal person. It's been too long since I had anyone I could really consider a friend." Weiss responded apologetically. All she had up until she met the rest of the band were people who worked with her, people who worked for her, and people only cared about her for her money and fame.

"Relax Weiss, none of us are going to judge you for that," Yang assured Weiss, genuinely taking pity on her. "Now, why don't we take turns asking a question and everyone gives their answers." she then suggested. It was the best way for them to get to know each other better, and hopefully, they would uncover that they had more in common than just being members of the same band.

"Great Idea Yang," Ruby told her sister, actually really liking the idea. It was nice seeing her Yang so happy and relaxed, it had been a long time since she'd seen her like that. "Who wants to ask the first question?" she then asked, excited to get things started. She knew Yang pretty well but she didn't know the other two very well outside of their work, so getting to ask them questions was an exciting prospect.

"You can start Rubes," Yang told her. She could tell that Ruby was really up for it, and she didn't really mind who started things off. She was pretty certain that the others would mind Ruby going first either, and she doubted that they would complain even if they did have a problem with it.

"Alright. Uh, what do you guys do for fun?" Ruby asked the others, curious as to how they entertained themselves and what they did when they weren't working. She knew that Blake liked to read, but she didn't really know what her sister did anymore, and Weiss was a complete mystery.

The other three looked at each other, wordlessly agreeing on the order they would answer in. Then Yang answered "Well, I like to go for long rides on my bike and I work out a lot." she said, not mentioning all the time she spent in bars and clubs, for Ruby's sake.

Blake answered next "I'm sure you've noticed that I like to read, a lot. But I also like to write and draw when I find the inspiration, not that I've had much of that recently." she said, slightly depressingly. There was sadness in her answer, with events in her life stopping her from doing what she liked to do.

Then Weiss gave her answer "I don't usually get much time to my self, or at least I didn't until recently. But I do like to write songs when I get the chance. That's all I can really think of right now." she told them. She was usually so busy working and doing work-related things, that she ended up with very little time to spend on herself. But that was hopefully going to change now.

Finally Ruby answered her own question. "I like to take things apart and put them back together, I've taken apart pretty much everything mechanical or electronic at home. Oh, and I guess I also like to run, I'm a really fast runner," she said. Other than what she mostly spent her time playing her guitar, but she was sure the others could already tell.

"Looks like we're going to have to show these two how to have fun Rubes," Yang commented, after hearing everyone's answers. "Weiss, we need to get you away from your work more. Blake, we need to get you some new inspiration." she then said to the other two, feeling quite bad for both of them. Weiss worked way too much and Blake was obviously still struggling to cope after leaving the White Fang.

"Yeah, we'll help you guys out." Ruby agreed. She wanted to help make the others happier and enjoy themselves more, it was sad to hear that Weiss was too busy to do what she wanted and Blake lost the inspiration to do the things she liked doing.

"Thanks" both of girls responded simultaneously. It was nice to know that the other two cared about them and wanted to help them to enjoy their lives more than they had been.

"It's about time I learned how to relax and enjoy life again." Weiss then said, grateful that they wanted to help her. While she hadn't exactly unhappy with the way her life had been, she really hadn't been getting the most out of life with all the work she was doing and all the events she had to attend.

"And it's nice to know that you care enough to want to help, you're a lot more understanding than my old bandmates, most of them at least," Blake added. The members of the White Fang weren't nearly as considerate and caring as Yang and Ruby were.

"We look after our friends Blake, you guys really don't need to thank us for anything," Yang replied, not needing thanks for looking out for her's and Ruby's new friends. Blake and Weiss definitely were their friends whether they realized it or not, so of course she and Ruby would try to be good friends to them. "Now, who's asking the next question?" she then added.

"I think I have a question," Weiss responded, having come up with what she thought was a good question for the others. It had taken some time and effort for her to think of something, but she did it.

"Go for it Weiss," Yang told her. She was curious to see what Weiss wanted to ask, not really knowing what to expect.

"Alright, do any of you have pets?" Weiss asked. She didn't have any herself, not having time to take care of them. But she did have a soft spot for animals, particularly small furry ones, so she was curious to know if the others had any. She hoped that the answers wouldn't be as depressing as the ones she and Blake had given to Ruby.

Yang was first to answer, shaking her head and saying "I thought about getting one, but my apartment complex doesn't allow pets. Plus I probably wouldn't be able to look after them properly, so it's probably best if I don't have one." It was a possibility she had considered in the past, but her lifestyle meant that having a pet was probably a bad idea, even if she was able to keep one in her apartment.

Next to answer was Blake "I've been thinking about getting a cat or two to keep me company, but right now it's just me." she told the others. She had been living alone since her split from Adam and the White Fang, and having pets to keep her company seemed like a reasonable solution to the loneliness she felt.

Then Ruby gave her answer "I have a dog, we'll Dad bought him but he's basically mine. His name's Zwei and he's a corgi." she said excitedly, she really liked telling people about Zwei, and she was now looking forward to introducing him to the others. Yang had already seen Zwei many times, but the others needed to meet him as far as she was concerned.

Finally, it was Weiss' turn. "I hope I get to meet Zwei at some point, I love dogs." she started. She was glad to hear that at least one of the others had a pet, and now she really wanted to see Ruby's dog. "Anyway, I don't have any pets, I've thought about it a lot, but I've always been to busy to really look after one." she then added. She and Yang, both had very similar reasons for not having pets.

"Don't worry Weiss, you'll all get to meet Zwei," Ruby responded, wanting Weiss to meet him just as much as Weiss wanted to meet him. She was glad to know that Weiss seemed to like dogs just as much as she did, it made her like her even more than she had to begin with.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about that Weiss, everyone gets to meet Zwei whether they want to or not," Yang added. In her experience, Ruby showed Zwei off to just about everyone she ever met. She couldn't help smiling at all the memories of Ruby showing him off and getting him to do tricks for people, it was one of the things she missed most about living in the family home.

"I can't wait," Weiss said to the sisters, looking forward to it. "Anyway, which one of you wants to ask the next question?" she then asked Yang and Blake, ready to move on to the next question.

"You can go first, Yang. I still haven't thought of anything worth asking," said Blake. It wasn't that she didn't want to ask her own question, just that she was stuck for what to ask.

"Alright, I guess I'll go now then," Yang told Blake, before moving on to her question. "What made you guys want to do this for a living? Music I mean," she asked. She had a pretty good idea of why Ruby wanted to make music, but she wasn't too sure about the other two.

Weiss answered first "At first my Father pushed me into it, making me take piano and singing lessons. I didn't really enjoy it, to begin with, but I grew to love it and now there's nothing else I'd rather do." she said. She hadn't always liked making music, but now she couldn't picture herself doing anything else.

Then Blake gave her answer. "I've loved making music for as long as I can remember and my parents were always really supportive of it. In the beginning, I just did it for fun, but eventually, with my parents' encouragement I started using music to try and make a difference, which is how I ended up with the White Fang," she explained, remembering everything that had led up to where she was now.

Next up was Ruby "It's always been my dream to do this and follow in Mom's footsteps." she said, mainly for Blake and Weiss because she knew that Yang already knew her reasoning. She had inherited her love of music her parents and her talent from her mother, so there was no way she would ever want to do anything other than making music.

Now Yang gave her answer "I guess I have pretty much the same reasons as Ruby, plus drumming really helps me get all my anger out without doing anything stupid or dangerous." she explained. It had always been her dream to have a music career and follow in the footsteps of her family, but she also did what she did because it helped her to control her anger issues. "Now Blake, do you have a question?" she asked after she finished.

"Uh, do you guys have any plans now it looks like the band's going to work out?" Blake asked, having struggled to think of anything to ask. She was curious to see what the others were going to do now that they knew the band was probably going to work out, as it was likely to change a lot of things for all of them.

"If we make any money from it I'm going to find myself a better apartment, I don't exactly live in the best place right now," Yang answered first. She didn't really have much planned for if the band succeeded, but she did want to find a new place to live that was better than where she was currently living. Her apartment wasn't awful, but she was ready to move out if she got the chance.

Next up was Weiss "If this works out then I can stop working so hard and focus more on enjoying life, that's all I really have planned for now." she told everyone. She wasn't concerned with finding a new place and she really didn't need any more money, her primary concern was changing how she managed her time to make her life more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Then Ruby gave her answer "I think I'll finally move out and start living on my own, there isn't anything else I really want to do." she answered. If they were successful, she could finally move away from home and find a place to live on her own. She liked living at home, but she really wanted to become more independent and find a new place to live, with Zwei of course.

Soon enough it was time for Blake to tell the others what she had planned "My plans are pretty much the same as Yang's, I need to find a new apartment. There's nothing else I really need or want to do." she explained. Just like Yang, she didn't live in a particularly nice apartment. She had just settled for the first place she found once she left Adam and the band, so finding a new place to live was her primary concern.

Unfortunately, the conversation was cut short at that point, as someone came to inform them that drivers had arrived to take them back to their homes. It was time for them all to go, so they would have to resume their conversation later. It was a little disappointing, but there would be plenty of time to get to know each other better in the future.

As everyone prepared to leave, Yang made a suggestion. "We should exchange numbers, we shouldn't just limit ourselves to talking in person," she told the others. They were friends and bandmates now, so it made perfect sense for them to have each other's numbers. The others were in agreement, quickly sharing their numbers with each other before heading to the cars that were waiting to take them home.

* * *

Ruby was dropped off outside the home she shared with her father. The moment she stepped through the door, she was almost knocked over by Zwei rushing to greet her. "Hey, Zwei. You won't believe how well tonight went," she said to him, as she knelt down beside him and stroked his head. She was so pleased with the way things had gone, she even had to tell the dog about it.

A moment later, Tai emerged from another room to see her. "How'd it go?" he asked her. He was hoping things had gone well for her, knowing how much the night going well meant to her.

"It went great Dad, the audience loved us," Ruby told him excitedly. She was so glad she could give him some good news, knowing it going badly would have hit him almost as much as it would have hit her.

Tai was more than a little relieved that it had gone so well. "Of course they loved you, they'd have to be deaf not to," he told her. Ruby was just as talented as Summer, so he could see no reason why the audience wouldn't love her just as much as they had loved Summer.

"You should have seen us Dad, it was the best any of us have ever played," Ruby said to him, wishing he had been able to be there to see her, Yang and the other giving the performance of their lives.

"Sorry I couldn't be there, but I'm sure I'll get plenty of chances to see you in action in the future. Anyway, I hope you know how proud of you I am, and how proud your mother would be." Tai responded, feeling bad that he hadn't been the concert, but wanting Ruby to know that he couldn't have been more proud of her and that Summer would have been just as proud of her as he was.

"Thanks, Dad, that means a lot," Ruby replied, before hugging him. Just knowing her was proud of her was enough, she was sure he would get to hear and see the band a lot in the future so it wasn't too bad that he hadn't been there to see them live for the first time.

"You really don't need to thank me, Ruby, I'm the one who should be thankful for having a daughter like you," Tai told her, as he hugged her back. "Now, why don't you tell me how Yang's doing?" he then asked, wanting to know more about his older and more troubled daughter, as he didn't get to see or hear from her very much.

"She's doing well, I don't think she's had a drink in a while and she seems a lot happier than usual," Ruby assured him. As far as she could tell, Yang was doing much better than she had been now that the band was a thing, it seemed to have given her the stability that she lacked after being kicked out of her previous band.

"Good, I hope she comes to visit again soon, it's been way too long since last time I saw her," Tai responded, glad to hear that both of his girls were doing well. Now all he needed was to see Yang again, it had been far too long since he'd had any interaction with his eldest.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see her really soon, I'll make sure of it," Ruby told him, wanting the two to see each other again almost as much as Tai did. There was somewhat of a rift between the two of them, and she would do what she could to bring them closer, hopefully, the band would help her out.

* * *

Elsewhere, Weiss was dropped off at her mansion on the outskirts of the city. She was greeted on her arrival by Klein, one of the few people she could actually consider to be a friend. "Welcome home my little snowflake, I hope everything went well," he said to her, as he led her inside.

"Thank you, Klein, it actually went far better than I had hoped," Weiss told him happily. It had gone better than she had expected and she had grown closer with the other members of the band, so the night had been a real success.

"Excellent news, I knew you would do well," Klein responded, glad to hear the good news and especially glad to see Weiss as happy as she was. It was rare to see Weiss so happy, even with how successful she already was on her own.

"Oh, I don't deserve all the credit, Klein. The other three were absolutely incredible." Weiss replied, not wanting to understate the talent of her bandmates, or how important they were to the band.

"I have no doubt they were, they have obviously made a big impression on you," Klein told her, understanding that they must have been something truly special to earn such admiration from Weiss. Whatever they were like, playing with them clearly helped make Weiss happy, and that was all that really mattered to him.

"They haven't just made an impression on me Klein. Ruby, Blake and Yang are my friends, not just associates, real friends." Weiss explained, wanting Klein to know just how important her bandmates actually were to her, they considered her to be a friend and she felt the same way about them.

"That's wonderful to hear, I do hope I can meet them at some point," Klein responded, extremely pleased to hear that Weiss had made genuine friends. "Now, is there anything you require?" he then asked.

"No thank you, Klein, I just want to get some sleep, tonight took more out of me than I thought," Weiss answered, before heading for her bedroom. She paused before leaving the room, to say one more thing. "Oh and Klein, you will get to meet them very soon," she told him, wanting to bring the others over at some point in the near future.

"I look forward to it." was Klein's response, which he followed up with "Goodnight my little snowflake." Though technically he worked for Weiss, he saw her more like a daughter than an employer and she saw him as somewhat of a father figure.

"Goodnight Klein," Weiss responded, before leaving the room. She had a big smile on her face as she went to bed, having just been through what had been the best night of her life. She wouldn't soon forget it.

* * *

Blake was dropped off outside her apartment complex, quickly making her way inside as it wasn't in the best of areas. Unlike with Ruby and Weiss, there was nobody there to greet her or ask her how things went.

She sighed heavily to herself when she walked into her apartment, as she once again realized how lonely her life had become. But she was pretty used to the feeling now, so she just pushed through it.

She headed straight for the kitchen to get herself some tea, one of the few things that she still took pleasure in. Then once she had her drink, she picked up a book and settled in for another night alone.

Then something quite unexpected happened. Her scroll buzzed and when she looked at it she had a message, it was from Yang. "Hey, Blake. I know we haven't exactly known each other for long, but I was wondering if since we both want to find new apartments if you want to maybe find a place together?"

Blake just stared at the message for a moment in disbelief. She hadn't expected any of her bandmates to contact her so soon if at all, let alone to contact her with a suggestion like that. She really didn't know how to feel about it. On one hand, they really didn't know each other that well and had only met recently. But on the other hand, Yang was a nice and considerate person from what she had seen, they were bandmates so they would be spending a lot of time together anyway, and they were in very similar positions in life.

It took some thought, but eventually, she did manage to come to a decision. She typed out a response to Yang, staring at it for a while before she built up the courage to actually send it. Then she went back to ready and sipping her tea, as she waited to hear back from Yang.

* * *

Yang was dropped off outside her own apartment complex, slowly making her way to her apartment. She was in no rush to get back, knowing that she had nobody waiting there for her.

When she did eventually get into her apartment, she headed straight for the fridge. She grabbed herself a beer, before collapsing onto her old couch. That was her usual nightly ritual when she wasn't out all night drinking or going home with someone else.

She sat there for a while just taking occasional sips of her beer and trying to forget about how much life sucked when she wasn't with the band. Which is when she was struck by an idea, based on something one of her bandmates had said earlier.

She took out her scroll and quickly typed out a message to Blake. It was probably a long shot given they hadn't known each other particularly well after such a short period of time, but she had to try it.

Then she went back to drinking her beer, as she waited for Blake to respond and hoped she wasn't asking too much of her new friend. Fortunately, it wasn't too crazy of a suggestion, given both of their situations and their plans for the future.

It took a while for her to receive a response, which had made her worry slightly. But a response did eventually come through. She couldn't bring herself to look at it right away, in case it wasn't good news.

But soon enough she couldn't hold out any longer, grabbing her scroll and reading the message. "Thanks for the suggestion, Yang. I wouldn't mind sharing an apartment with you, it would be nice to have some company again."

Yang couldn't help smiling at the response, it was exactly what she had hoped for. She really liked the idea of living with someone, especially when that someone was Blake. She quickly typed out her reply. "I'm so glad you're up for it, we can talk about it more later. Goodnight Blake."

A few seconds later she heard back from Blake. "I look forward to it. Goodnight Yang."

* * *

**In the last chapter I included a list of all the songs featured, so here's that list for this one in case you want to listen to any of them.**

**Barracuda by Heart**

**Renegade by Styx**

**Rain by The Cult**

**The Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen**

**Love Hurts by Nazareth**

**The Chain by Fleetwood Mac**

**Little Wing by The Jimi Hendrix Experience**

**Radar Love by Golden Earring**

**Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison**

**Then Came The Last Days Of May by Blue Oyster Cult**


	4. Chapter 4

The day after RWBY's debut, soon came, and it was another very big day for the band. Their performance had been recorded, and a live album was going to be released. If it went well, the band's popularity would go through the roof, and Beacon would be saved.

* * *

Ruby woke up early and picked up her scroll from beside her bed. A quick check was all it took for her to find that RWBY was now all over social media, news of them had spread like wildfire overnight. There were rave reviews and pictures of their performance all over the place.

She was so excited she tripped over her own feet when she jumped out of bed, but it did hardly anything to slow her down as she sprinted out of her room in search of her dad. Zwei, who had been sleeping at the foot of her bed, was hot on her heels and almost as excited as she was.

The first thing that struck her once she left the room was the smell of cooking bacon coming from downstairs. This was highly unusual because it meant Tai was awake, and he was never awake so early.

She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she found Tai making breakfast. He looked in her direction as she entered the room and smiled at her. "Morning Ruby, how'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Pretty good dad, what are you doing up so early?" Ruby responded, she was happy to see him but she couldn't help wondering what had caused the unusual change in his behaviour.

"Well, thanks to your good news last night, I actually had a good nights sleep for once," Tai explained. Usually, his sleep was always troubled by thoughts of the past and the people he lost, but this time that wasn't the case thanks to Ruby's success and happiness.

"That's great Dad. Oh, and I have more good news for you." Ruby said, before walking over to him and handing him her scroll. "Look at all this." she then told him, wanting him to see how much of an impact the band had made.

Tai turned his attention away from the bacon for a moment, as looked at the great things people were saying about the band and the big deal they were making of Ruby and the others. When he finished reading, he couldn't help throwing his arms around his daughter and pulling her into a hug. "You did great, I'm so proud of you," he told her.

"Thanks, Dad, You don't know how much that means to me," Ruby said as she hugged back. The effect things were having on Tai made her even happier, she couldn't recall the last time she'd seen him so happy.

"As I said last night, you don't need to thank me," Tai replied, seeing her as happy as she was, was thanks enough for him. "Now, I think breakfast is ready, don't want to burn it." he then added.

"Great, it's been too long since we last had breakfast together," Ruby responded, unable to contain her excitement. It was only a small and fairly insignificant thing, but she had missed it for so long. The day was off to a great start, and she hoped the rest of the band were as happy as she was.

* * *

Weiss was woken by the sound of Klein entering her bedroom. He was bringing her breakfast in bed, as he did most days. "Good morning Klein," she said, as she sat up in bed. She was in a particularly good mood, the previous night having been pretty much the best night of her life.

"Good morning, I trust you slept well," Klein responded, as he served her breakfast. He was glad to find her in such a good mood, it had been a while since he had seen her as happy as she obviously was.

"Very well, thank you, Klein," Weiss assured him with a smile. She had slept exceptionally well thanks to the success of the night before putting her mind at ease, and because the intensity of her performance had worn her out.

"Wonderful, now is there anything else you require before I depart?" Klein asked, not wanting to overstay his welcome in her room, but still wanting to ensure that she had everything she needed.

"This will be all thank you, Klein, please feel free to take the rest of the day for yourself," Weiss told him. She had plans for the day that wouldn't require Klein waiting on her hand and foot, so she wanted him to have the rest of the day off.

"Very well, but please don't hesitate to call for me if you need me," Klein responded, before heading for the door. Even when he wasn't working, he was always ready to come running to assist Weiss.

"Thank you, Klein," Weiss said to him just before he left the room, she was extremely grateful to him for everything. She was paying him to do it, but he always went above and beyond for her.

Once Klein was gone, she checked her scroll. She had several unread messages from her family. She had received them from her father, her sister, and her brother. Before she even read them, she could tell they would all be related to the events of the night before.

The first messages she checked were from her father because she knew they would be the worst. The first one read "You cannot stop bringing shame on our family can you." It was pretty much exactly what she expected from him.

The second read "You're a disgrace, working with a filthy animal, an alcoholic whore and a child." She really didn't like that one, not because of what he said about her, but about the fact he dragged her friends into it.

Furious at her father, Weiss typed out a response and sent it to him "Insult me all you want Jacques, but don't you dare bring my friends into this." She could take whatever insults he threw at her, but she would not accept him insulting Blake, Yang or Ruby.

Next, she moved on to the message from her brother, because she knew that it would be almost as bad as those from her father. Sure enough, the first one said "Throwing away your career to work with a Faunus, no wonder Father doesn't love you." It was another cruel one, but again it only annoyed Weiss because it involved Blake.

She angrily typed out a response to her brother. "At least I can make these decisions for myself Whitley, rather than blindly obeying Jacques." she wasn't going to get into a war of words with him, that would be a waste of her time, so this was all she needed to say.

Finally, she looked at the messages from her sister. As the only member of the family, she had a good relationship with, the messages from Winter would be the nicest by far. This turned out to be right, as the first message said: "I don't understand what prompted your decision, but I wish you luck with your band." It was quite formal as most messages from Winter were, but it was supportive and Weiss couldn't have appreciated it more.

The other message from Winter said, "I'm sure you can handle anything Jacques and Whitley say or do to you, but I sincerely hope they don't try to cause you any issues." It wasn't much, but it reminded Weiss that she wasn't alone in having to deal with her brother and father.

Unlike the previous messages, the ones from Winter actually put a smile on Weiss' face. She typed out a response to Winter "Thank you, Winter, your support means a lot. I hope we can speak later." The sisters preferred to talk to each other rather than messaging each other, but they both had busy lives so they rarely got the opportunity.

With that done, Weiss put down her scroll and started on her breakfast. It didn't take long for her to forget about all her family issues, at this point she was used to pushing it out of her mind, and she had much better things to think about. She would be working on a new look for herself, one that matched the new direction she was moving in.

* * *

Blake was woken by the sound of her scroll vibrating. So without getting out of bed, she reached out and grabbed it. She looked at it and found hundreds of unread messages from unknown numbers, and immediately she knew what that meant.

A brief glance at the messages proved her suspicious right, they were all abusive. They called her things like a race traitor, a whore and a worthless human lover. It was pretty obvious that they were from her old bandmates, even though the numbers showed, as unknown, it had to be Adam, Yuma and Trifa making her suffer for being part of RWBY.

Though the messages didn't come as a surprise to her, Blake was still hurt by them. It wasn't so much what they said that bothered her, it was more the fact it was them saying those things. They had been her closest friends and more in the past, she had once considered them to be family, but now there was only hatred and animosity between them. Not wanting to read through the messages, she put her scroll down before getting out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

After turning the shower on, she stripped off her pyjamas as she waited for the water to heat up. Then she stood there for a moment, closing her eyes and focusing on the sound of running water, as she tried to clear her head of negative thoughts and focus on the good things in her life.

As the water reached the right temperature, she got in the shower. The feeling of warm water running down her body was great, immediately her thoughts of Adam and the others melted away. With her mind clear, she remembered how happy she had been the night before, and how she had new friends who cared about her.

Yang's suggestion of getting a place together came to mind, as she started washing her hair and ears. Despite the fact she hadn't known her for very long, the idea of living with Yang certainly didn't seem like a bad idea. The drummer had been nothing but nice to her in the short time they had known each other, and she really seemed to care about her.

The more she thought about living with Yang, the more the idea grew on her. She resolved to talk to Yang about it again, and hopefully get things arranged and a place found as soon as possible. She was sure that having Yang to keep her company would help her get over the past, and she didn't want to spend any more time on her own, feeling sorry for herself.

She couldn't help smiling to herself as she went through her morning routine, as she imagined how much better life would be. Joining RWBY had so far turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made, and it seemed that things would only get better.

Once she was dressed and ready for the day, she picked up her scroll again. Ignoring the messages from the unknown numbers, she found Yang's number and sent her a message. "Good morning Yang, do you have time to talk?" while her priority was the apartment, she really just wanted to talk to Yang again.

* * *

Yang was woken by the sound of a bottle falling to the floor, opening her eyes to find that she had fallen asleep on her couch. She rubbed her eyes and pushed herself to her feet, being careful not to stand on one of the empty beer bottles which were on the floor.

She picked the bottles up and threw them away, before stripping off the clothes she had slept in. She turned on the shower, then took the opportunity to check herself out in the mirror. Eventually, she hopped in the shower and began the long process of washing her hair.

Once she was finally done cleaning herself up, she looked for something to wear. As always, she didn't want to hide her natural assets, so she settled on a yellow tank top and a pair of extremely short and extremely tight black shorts.

After getting dressed and making herself some breakfast, she decided to check her scroll for the first time. Looking at it, she found she had two unread messages, one from Tock and the other from Blake. Being somewhat apprehensive about checking the one from Blake, in case she had changed her mind about getting a place together, she read the one from Tock first.

Tock's message read "I see you've found yourself another band, don't fuck it up for yourself." Having thrown Yang out of her band, she didn't want her to mess up her second chance. Yang appreciated the message, even if it was harshly worded. She responded with a quick thanks, before turning her attention to the other message.

Blake's message simply said "Good morning Yang, do you have time to talk?". Yang wasn't sure what to make of the message, it could have been a good sign or a bad sign, but she wasn't sure which one. Whatever the case, she wasn't going to say no.

It took a moment for her to type out her response, in the end, she said: "Morning Blake, I'm always here if you need to talk." She was more than happy to make time for any of her friends if they needed to talk, and that included Blake.

Blake replied to her almost immediately "Thanks, I really appreciate it. Can I call you?" Yang wasn't sure what to make of this message either, but the fact it didn't seem to be anything bad, put her mind at ease.

She was perfectly happy for Blake to call her, but she had a better idea. "Sure, or we could meet up." was the response she ended up sending. She much preferred talking to people in person rather than via scroll, and she wanted to see Blake again as friends rather than bandmates.

This time Blake's reply took slightly longer, but a couple of minutes later it arrived. "I like that idea, where would you like to meet?" That was just the response Yang had been hoping for, and she was now more convinced that Blake probably hadn't changed her mind about anything.

Yang considered meeting somewhere in public, though she decided against it, thinking they could end up being hounded by fans or the press. Then she considered inviting Blake over, but a quick look around her place quickly put a stop to that idea. Then she thought of a third, more preferable option. "Mind if I come over to your place? I can ride over there if you give me your address," she asked.

A few moments after Yang sent her message, Blake responded. "You're welcome here anytime, especially if we're going to be moving in together." The message was followed by a picture of Blake's apartment complex and the address. That was all Yang needed to hear, and it made it fairly clear that Blake was still up for living together.

There was just one more question that needed to be asked. "When should I come over?" Yang was ready to leave at a moments notice, and on her bike, it would take no time at all for her to reach Blake's.

Blake's answer was immediate "Now's good." Yang jumped into action as soon as she received the message, she couldn't wait to see Blake, so the sooner she got there the better. Within minutes she was heading for her bike.

As she walked to her bike, she sent a final message to Blake. "On my way, see you soon." Then she tucked her scroll away in a pocket and started on the short journey to the apartment complex.

* * *

About ten minutes after Yang told her she was on her way, Blake heard the roar of a bike engine coming down the street. She walked to the window and looked out at the street, at which point Yang pulled up right in front of the building.

She watched for a moment as Yang stopped her bike, pulled her helmet off, and took out her scroll. A second later, her scroll vibrated, it was a message from Yang. "I'm here."

She typed out a quick response "Come to the front door, I'll buzz you in." She sent it, then watched as Yang read it and walked towards the front of the building. As soon as Yang was out of view, she hit the button to let her in, before heading to the door to wait for her.

She stood in the doorway of her apartment until she saw Yang coming up the stairs. She couldn't help smiling when the drummer came into view, Yang spotted her straight away and smiled back "Hey." They both said, greeting each other.

"It's nice to see you again," Blake said, as she stepped to the side and waved Yang in. Any sadness she felt became a distant memory, as soon as she felt Yang's warm presence.

"Nice to see you too, I've been looking forward to this for a while," Yang responded as she walked into the apartment. She had been looking forward to meeting up as friends and getting to know Blake better.

"I've been looking forward to this too, I'm glad you came over," Blake told her. Hearing that Yang was willing to talk had made her feel better, but having her there in person was way better, it proved that Yang really did want to be a friend.

"You're not the only one. You have a nice place here, by the way, it's way better than my apartment." Yang replied. It was much cleaner and better decorated than her place, she could tell Blake put a lot of work into making it that way.

"You really think so?" Blake asked, surprised that anyone would compliment the place. She did make an effort to make it feel more like a home, but she didn't think it was anything special.

"Yeah, it looks great. You must have put a lot of time into this place." Yang answered. She couldn't picture her own apartment looking so good, mainly because she could never be bothered putting the effort in, but Blake obviously didn't have the same problem.

"Thanks, you're actually the only person I've had over, so I'm glad you like it," Blake responded. Yang was the first visitor she'd had, so it was a relief to know that her apartment didn't reflect the mess that her life had been since leaving Adam and the White Fang.

"Well I'm honoured, I must have done something right to be the first," Yang said, really appreciating the fact that she had been allowed to visit Blake's place before anyone else.

"I guess you could say that. Since we met you've been nothing but nice to me, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that." Blake explained, wanting Yang to understand how much her friendship was appreciated.

"Why wouldn't I be nice to you? You're great." Yang asked. She couldn't think of any reason why she wouldn't want to be Blake's friend, she was pretty much the coolest person she knew.

"You think I'm great?" Blake asked in response, having not expected Yang to call her that. She certainly didn't feel that way about herself, she had too many flaws to count.

"Sure I do, you're crazy talented, super smart, not to mention how good you look." Yang pointed out. Blake had all the things she ever looked for in a person and more, she felt lucky to have a friend and bandmate like her.

"I don't know what to say, I can't remember the last time anyone was so nice to me," Blake responded, feeling herself tearing up as she spoke. She was blown away by how complimentary and kind Yang was, it made her feel truly appreciated for the first time in a long time.

"Seriously? You must have been surrounded by the wrong people if they weren't telling you how awesome you are every day." Yang told her. She wasn't happy about how under-appreciated Blake was, and she was going to make sure that changed.

Blake sighed heavily as she realised how little she was appreciated by her former bandmates and friends, but those thoughts quickly left her as she remembered that she had new friends now. She smiled at Yang and said, "Thank you, Yang, you really don't know how much you and the other two have improved my life since we met, I was a complete wreck before you came along."

Yang smiled back and said, "You really don't need to thank me for anything, I'm just doing my job as your friend." She would be failing as a friend if she didn't do everything she could for Blake. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" she then asked.

"Oh, right. I was thinking about what you said last night, about us getting a place together, and I was kind of hoping we could start looking into making it happen." Blake explained, as she took a seat on her couch and gestured for Yang to join her.

Yang took a seat next to Blake before responding "Well you're in luck, I'm ready when you are. The sooner I can get out of my crappy apartment, the better." she said. She hadn't thought Blake would want to get things moving so quickly, but she was more than ready to start putting the plan into action.

Blake was thrilled with Yang's response, it seemed they were both equally ready for it. They had different reasons for it, but they both wanted to start living together as soon as possible. "I'm so glad you said that. I'm tired of living alone and I can't think of anyone better to share a place with," she said.

"Thanks, Blake, I can't think of anyone I'd rather live with either," Yang responded, extremely grateful for what Blake said about her. "Now, I guess it's time to start looking," she added, now more excited about the idea than ever before.

Blake nodded, before reaching under the couch and pulling out her laptop. "We can use this," she said as she placed it down on the coffee table in front of them.

"Huh, you're more prepared for this than I thought," Yang commented as she watched Blake turn the laptop on. It seemed that Blake had been waiting for the exact situation to arise.

Blake shrugged "Not really, I always keep my laptop under there. I figured that if anyone broke in, they'd never think to check under the couch." she explained. A burglary was always a possibility given where she lived, so she was careful with her most important and valuable possessions.

"Oh I get it, you don't want anyone reading search history." Yang joked. She saw the opportunity and she just had to take it, it was against her nature to let a chance like that pass her by.

Blake couldn't help laughing, it wasn't particularly funny but Yang still managed to get to her. "Of course Yang, don't want anyone knowing what porn I'm into." she joked back. She couldn't remember the last time she'd joked with anyone.

"Don't worry, I won't try to sneak a look," Yang told her, with a mischievous look on her face. She loved the fact that Blake was playing along, it made her like the Faunus even more.

Blake smirked at her "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," she joked. In all seriousness, she didn't really have anything to hide, at least not from Yang.

Yang burst out laughing at what Blake said. "You're playing a dangerous game there, I almost traumatised Ruby last time I let her borrow my scroll," she warned, remembering how red her sister had gone after accidentally looking at her own search history.

"Well now you have me intrigued, don't tease me like that," Blake told her, now genuinely curious what she would find on Yang's scroll.

Yang pulled out her scroll and tossed it to Blake "Knock yourself out, I'm not shy," she said with a wink. If there was one thing that could be said about her, it was that she certainly wasn't shy about anything.

Blake looked at Yang, then to the scroll, then back to Yang. "Seriously?" she asked, not entirely convinced that Yang meant what she said. She was curious, but she didn't know if Yang was just making another joke.

Yang nodded "I've got nothing to hide, and it's not like that stuff won't come up at some point when we're living together," she explained. Things would be less awkward in future if they put everything out in the open, to begin with, plus she didn't want to hide anything from Blake.

"Huh, I knew you were laid back, but I didn't realise you were this laid back," Blake responded, surprised that Yang was so relaxed about revealing such intimate details.

Yang smiled at her and said, "I'm only this laid back around people I like and trust." She really liked and trusted Blake, even though they hadn't known each other for very long.

"Well, I'm glad you count me as one of those people, for the record I feel the same way about you," Blake said, before opening up her search history and sliding her laptop over to Yang. It was only fair, and she was sure it would only help them grow closer as friends.

Yang read what was on Blake's screen, reading through everything she'd searched. "Damn Blake, you're into some kinky shit. I like it," she said, once she finished reading. She had expected Blake's taste to be pretty vanilla, but that was certainly not the case.

Blake was doing the same thing with Yang's scroll, and she could see why Ruby was almost traumatised. "I could say the same to you," she told Yang, before passing her scroll back.

Yang gave Blake her laptop back, then said: "Well that wasn't what I was expecting when I came over." She hadn't imagined things would go the way they had, but she had no complaints.

Blake nodded "Me neither, but it was an enlightening experience." she said. She already felt closer to Yang than she had before. "Now, how about I make us some tea and then we start looking at apartments." she then added, trying to get things back on track.

"Sounds like a plan, need any help?" Yang asked, wanting to make herself useful. She wouldn't feel right just sitting there while Blake made them both tea.

"I'll be fine, you just make yourself at home," Blake responded, before walking into her apartment's tiny kitchen. Yang was her guest and she would treat her as such, she could handle the tea herself.

As Blake left the room, Yang decided to take the opportunity to look around. There were a few pictures on the wall, so she walked over to take a closer look. The first one was a picture of what she assumed was a young Blake with her parents. Two things came to mind as she looked at it, Blake was an adorable kid, and her mother was hot.

The second picture was of an older Blake, with people Yang recognised as the other members of the White Fang. She was quite surprised that Blake had it on display, given what she knew about the situation between her and them.

The last picture was a picture of Blake's parents surrounded by several smiling Faunus children, she had no idea what connection Blake or her parents had to the kids, but she found it sweet that Blake had it on display.

Blake walked out of the kitchen with the tea on a tray, to find Yang looking at the pictures on her wall. She put the tray down on her coffee table, then walked over to join Yang. She didn't say anything, she just stood there looking at them.

"You were a really cute kid," Yang told her after they had been standing in silence for a few moments. Everything about young Blake was adorable, but the cat ears which were too big for her head made her just about the cutest kid she'd ever seen.

"Uh, thanks," Blake responded, caught off guard by the comment. She had expected Yang to say something, but not that, not that she didn't appreciate it.

"Sorry, I hope it's not offensive for me to say that," Yang said, Blake's response having worried her slightly. She didn't really know how Faunus felt about being called cute.

"It's fine, we only really find that offensive when people say it to mock and degrade us, but I know you don't mean it that way. Thank you for asking though, most people wouldn't think about it like that." Blake assured her. She knew Yang meant it as a genuine compliment, so there was no problem with what she said.

"Thank the gods, you had me worried for a second there," Yang responded, relieved that she hadn't unintentionally insulted Blake. She made a mental note to be more careful in future.

"Don't worry, I know you don't have anything against my people. We wouldn't be having this conversation if I thought you did." Blake assured her. They wouldn't have been friends or even bandmates if Yang did have a problem with the Faunus.

Yang sighed "It sucks that we even have to talk about this, we wouldn't have to if humans stopped being dicks," she said, annoyed by what people like Blake had to deal with because some humans didn't like her kind.

"It does suck, but trust me, Yang, it's not just humans who need to change," Blake responded, looking at the picture of her with the White Fang as she said it. The members of her previous band certainly didn't help improve relations with humanity, which was one of the reasons why she left.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you have that picture on display?" Yang asked, curious as to why Blake kept it despite her obvious issues with the other people in it. It didn't make sense to her, but she was sure Blake had her reasons.

Blake sighed "I ask myself the same question all the time. I guess it's to remind myself of the good times I had with them before it all went wrong, and because there's still one person I don't hate in it." she explained. She did have good times with the White Fang back in the early days. Plus, the picture showed her and Ilia together, and Ilia was the only one of her former bandmates she hadn't grown to hate.

"I guess that makes sense, but I can't say I'd do the same if I was in your position," Yang told her. While they had both recently left their previous bands, their circumstances were very different, she was still on pretty good terms with her former bandmates, but there was a lot of animosity between Blake and her former bandmates.

"I won't be putting it up in our new place, I'll replace it with a picture of me with my new friends," Blake commented. Now she has a new band and new friends, she didn't need to dwell on the past anymore.

"Good to know you're already making plans for decorating our apartment." Yang quipped. She liked the idea that Blake already had plans, it made the idea of living together seem more real.

"And you don't?" Blake asked her. Surely she wasn't the only one thinking what the new place would be like.

"As long as there's somewhere for me to keep my stuff and sleep, you can do whatever you want with the place," Yang answered. Considering the states of their current apartments, it was probably best to let Blake do the planning.

"Are you sure you want to take that risk?" Blake asked jokingly. She imagined all the ways in which Yang's willingness to let her take control could backfire, not that she would ever consider abusing Yang's faith in her.

"You'd be surprised what I'm willing to put up with," Yang responded, before shooting her a wink. She didn't explain herself, leaving it for Blake to come to her own conclusion about what she meant.

"So you wouldn't mind sleeping in a cage then?" Blake asked her, giving a particularly extreme example of what she could do with the power Yang was giving her.

"It wouldn't be the first time, not that I got much sleep." Yang deadpanned, before bursting out laughing. She was joking around, but she wasn't lying about having slept in a cage before.

Blake raised an eyebrow "Do I even want to know?" she asked, not sure what to make of Yang's admission. She had a few ideas of what the story behind it was, and she was more than a little curious.

"Like you don't already know," Yang responded with a coy smile. They'd seen each other's search history so it was pretty obvious what she was alluding to, and there was no way Blake wouldn't work it out.

Blake's cheeks reddened slightly, as she could picture exactly what Yang meant. "On second thought, I probably shouldn't put you in a cage," she said.

"You can if you want, all you need to do is ask," Yang said jokingly, but in a seductive way, before shooting Blake another wink. Blake was pretty much the only person she felt like she could really do that with, everyone else would take her too seriously or not understand what she was alluding to.

Blake felt herself get a little too excited and slightly flustered by what Yang was implying, she had to remind herself that Yang was a friend and was only messing with her. She quickly tried to change the subject. "So, you don't have a picture of you with your old band?" she asked, trying to return to an earlier part of their conversation.

Yang could sense the slight awkwardness she had caused, so she went along with the change of subject. "I have a few on my scroll, but I don't really look at them. I mean I'm still friends with Tock and the others, but I don't like thinking about what I lost when they told me to go. But that's not a problem, now RWBY's a thing." she explained.

"It's strange how quickly things have changed. One minute we've given up on music and the next we're playing together in a completely new band." Blake responded, thinking about how quickly she and Yang had gone from rock bottom to where they were now.

"It is pretty crazy. I mean there I was getting hammered in a bar, then Glynda walks in and asks me to join you guys." Yang replied, recalling how much her life had changed in such a short period of time.

"Huh, I was reading in a cafe when they came to me," Blake told her, remembering how awkward things had been when she was approached.

"It's a little weird that they managed to track us down, it's like they were stalking us." Yang pointed out. It was odd that they had been able to find them so easily.

"I think they just guessed where we'd be based on what they knew about us, but it is kind of strange that they checked the right cafe and bar. They either got very lucky, or they went to a lot of different places until they found us." Blake responded, agreeing that it was strange how they had been so easily located.

Yang shrugged and said, "I guess it doesn't matter too much since it worked out so well for us." She didn't mind the fact that she had been stalked by the record label since it worked out well for her.

"You're right, I just hope nobody else tries it," Blake told her, not wanting to end up with a stalker or anything like that.

Yang nodded in agreement, before remembering a question she wanted to ask. She looked at the picture of Blake's parents with all the kids and asked "What's the deal with this one, who're all the kids?" she asked.

"Oh, I guess you could say they're my brothers and sisters. My parents adopted them all after I moved out." Blake explained. The children her parents had adopted were all orphans who'd lost their parents to anti-Faunus violence.

"Damn, your parents are awesome," Yang told her, thinking it was a great thing her parents were doing. She now really wanted to meet Blake's family.

"I guess they are pretty awesome. So are all the kids, even though I haven't met them yet. Blake replied. She had seen pictures and videos of the kids before, but she hadn't had a chance to meet or speak to them before.

"We're going to visit at some point, I hope you know that. They need to meet their badass big sister." Yang told her. There was no way she would take no for an answer, she would drag Blake all the way to her parents' house if she had to.

"Oh don't worry Yang, I'm planning on visiting them as soon as I get the chance, and I suppose you can come too if you want," Blake assured her. Now that her life was back on track, she felt ready to visit her family, and she didn't mind taking Yang along with her.

"That's what I like to hear. Now, I need to know names." Yang responded. She knew pretty much nothing about Blake's family, but she wanted to. She wanted to know as much as she could about her new friend.

"Alright, so my mom's name is Kali and my dad's name is Ghira, but you should probably stick to calling them Chief and Mrs Belladonna if you meet them." Blake started. She knew that Yang would probably have questions when she mentioned her father's title.

"Chief? He must be a pretty big deal." Yang asked, not entirely sure what the implications of the title were since she didn't know how things worked in Menagerie.

"You could say that he's the leader of our village," Blake explained. It wasn't quite that simple, but she was sure it would be enough for Yang.

"I'd say that makes him a pretty big deal. Anyway, what does your mom do?" Yang asked, wondering if Kali was as big of a deal as Blake or Ghira.

"She looks after the kids, there's not much time for anything else when you're raising eight kids," Blake told her. She honestly didn't know how her mother could manage to look after all eight of the children, it was admirable, to say the least.

"How does she do all that and still manage to look so damn hot?" Yang asked, kind of forgetting that she was asking the woman's daughter.

"Careful Yang, she's a married woman." Blake quipped. She couldn't deny the fact that her mother looked great for her age, especially considering how busy she always was.

Yang laughed and said, "I can appreciate how good someone looks without making a move you know." What she said was true, mostly. She wouldn't try it on with someone already in a relationship, but everyone else was fair game.

"Oh, so that's why you haven't made a move on me." Blake joked, remembering Yang's earlier comment about her looks.

Yang smiled at her "I don't know where this side of you came from, but it can stay." This happier and more fun version of Blake was great, the two of them got on like a house on fire.

"Don't you worry about that Yang, it's not going anywhere," Blake assured her. She couldn't imagine not feeling happy with Yang around. "Anyway, back to my family," she added, getting the conversation back on track.

"So, this is Sable and his twin sister Ebony," Blake said, as she pointed to a boy and a girl who both had black cat ears.

"How old are they?" Yang asked. She wasn't the best at working out people's ages, especially when it came to children.

"They're ten, almost eleven," Blake answered, before moving on. "This is Luna, she's nine," she said, as she pointed at a girl with dark blue hair and a pair of wolf ears.

"I like her hair," Yang commented, as she looked at Luna. She'd seen blue hair before, but not like that.

Blake nodded "Mom told me that it's naturally blue, apparently it runs in her family." she explained, before moving on again. "This is Almaz, he's twelve," she said while pointing to a boy with black and red hair, and a pair of black bear ears.

"His hair's just like Ruby's, I've never seen anyone else with hair like hers," Yang said, as she looked at him.

Blake nodded "I felt the same way when I met Ruby." she said, before moving on to the next kid. "This is Clay, he's eleven," she said, as she pointed to a boy with a set of horns emerging from his long brown hair.

"Somebody doesn't like having his hair cut," Yang commented, seeing that his hair was about as long as her own.

"He likes it long and my parents won't force him, they're pretty relaxed about things like that," Blake explained, remembering the things they let her get away with at that age.

Next, she came to a girl with a red beak in place of her mouth. "This is Cherry, she's thirteen," she said.

"I've never seen a Faunus with a beak before," Yang said, as she looked at the girl. She didn't even know it was possible.

"That's understandable, it's extremely rare for a Faunus to have a beak as their animal trait," Blake explained. She had only ever encountered a couple of beaked Faunus herself, and that was when she was in Menagerie.

Now pointing at a redheaded boy, with a red squirrel tail emerging from behind him, Blake said: "This is Rusty, he's seven."

"Is he the youngest?" Yang asked. There was only one child left that she didn't know the age of, but Rusty definitely looked younger.

"He is, he's also the newest addition to the family," Blake explained, before moving on for the last time. "This is Jet, he's eight," she said, as she pointed to a boy with two large black feathered wings on his back.

"That's a pretty badass name," Yang responded, taking a real liking to the boy's name. With a name like that she was sure that he would grow up to be a badass.

Blake laughed "Is there anything you don't think is badass?" she asked. Yang seemed to really like the word.

"Maybe a few things. You have a badass family by the way." Yang joked. Maybe she did use the word a lot, but that was just how she rolled.

"Well, I'll be sure to tell them you think so. Now, the tea's ready so let's get on with the apartment search." Blake said, before walking back to the couch. There was so much to talk about with Yang, that it was hard to focus on what they were meant to be doing.

"Right, almost forgot about that. Thanks for the tea by the way," said Yang, as she walked over and joined Blake on the couch again. With everything else they had been discussing, it had slipped her mind.

Blake used her laptop to access a website which listed most of the available apartments in the city. Vale was a big city, so there were hundreds of places to choose from. "So, what are we looking for?" she asked.

"Well, it's got to be in a nice area, but nothing that's crazy expensive," Yang told her. They just needed a place that wasn't in the crime-ridden areas of the city like the neighbourhoods they currently lived in.

"So if we split the rent 50/50, how much do you think you can afford to pay?" Blake asked. She made plenty of money from the royalties she was paid for White Fangs' music, so she could afford to pay quite a lot, but she wasn't sure about Yang's financial situation.

"At most I could probably go a couple of thousand a month, but I don't want to do that unless I have to," Yang answered. She was pretty lucky when it came to money, her mother had written a will shortly before she disappeared, which meant that inherited all of her savings and received her share of the STRQ's royalties.

"Don't worry, there are plenty of nice places that don't cost anywhere near that much," Blake assured her. If Yang was being totally honest with her, then she was sure that they could easily afford a decent place together. On top of that, they would have no money problems at all if RWBY was a success like it seemed it would be.

Yang nodded, having been reassured by Blake. Then remembering another important detail, she said: "Oh, we also need something with parking for both of us." They needed somewhere to keep her bike and Blake's car.

"Good point, that should help narrow down the search," Blake responded. The list of apartments reduced significantly with all of their preferences, but there were still too many to choose from. "Anything else you can think of?" she then asked, hoping Yang could help out again.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a spare room for anyone who wanted to stay over," Yang answered, assuming that they would have guests at some point, possibly even Ruby or Weiss.

"Something with three bedrooms then, that should make this a lot easier," Blake said. Sure enough, the number of apartments meeting their requirements dropped to eleven. "Well, unless you can think of anything else, these are our options." she then added, happy with the shortlist they were left with.

"Nothing else I can think of, I'm sure we'll find what we're looking for," Yang responded, as she looked at the options they were left with. At least one of the eleven apartments would be exactly what they were both looking for, or at least she hoped so.

"Alright then, I'll arrange some viewings," Blake told her, before using the website to do exactly that. What the website showed was promising, but they couldn't really make a judgement on where they wanted to live until they'd seen the places in person.

"Huh, that didn't take as long as I thought it would, it took way longer to find my place," Yang commented, surprised at how quickly Blake had managed to find what they were looking for. "I guess that means we can go back to talking about fun stuff." she then added, wanting to get back to learning more about Blake.

"Sounds like a plan, what do you want to talk about now?" asked Blake, who was very much enjoying having Yang around, asking to talk was proving to be one of the best decisions she'd made in a while.

"Oh, I know, do you have any tattoos or piercings?" Yang asked. Blake did strike her as the sort of person who would, but she hadn't seen any proof of it. They would have more in common if it turned out that she did, and that would make living together even better in her opinion.

"I don't have any tattoos, but I do have a few piercings," Blake told her. She'd thought about getting tattoos in the past, but was never able to settle on what she wanted. But piercings were another matter entirely.

"Sweet, can I see them?" Yang then asked, she always liked seeing peoples body modifications, almost as much as she liked showing off her own. She was dying to see what Blake had managed to keep hidden from her.

Blake's face reddened significantly at that, and she was torn on how to respond. "I don't know, they're not the type that you just go showing everyone," she said, trying to buy herself more time to come to a decision.

Yang smirked at her "Let me guess, nipple piercings." she said, knowing it could only be that or something below the belt. If their situations were reversed then she wouldn't hesitate to show off, but she could understand Blake's reaction.

"How could you tell?" Blake asked, laughing awkwardly. She trusted Yang and didn't really mind what Yang saw, the problem was the idea of showing Yang was getting her overly excited, which was wrong because Yang was a friend.

Yang laughed and said: "Well, it was either that or a labial piercing." That was the only other thing she could think of, that would make Blake react the way she did. "Now since that made you go bright red, how about I show you my tattoo instead?" she then asked.

Not really thinking about it, Blake nodded. She was too focused on calming herself down, that she didn't consider the fact that Yang's tattoo had to be concealed beneath the few small bits of clothing she was wearing.

Without hesitation, Yang stood up, walked around the coffee table so she was standing directly in front of Blake, and removed her tank top. With that, she was standing in the middle of Blake's apartment in just a bra and shorts. Then she turned around and moved her hair aside to show off the golden dragon which covered her entire back.

Blake had to admit that the tattoo was the best she'd ever seen. "Looks great," she commented while doing her best to fight off her sexual frustration, which was almost impossible after getting such a good look at Yang.

"My body or the dragon?" Yang asked jokingly as she turned back around. Either way, she would have been more than happy with it, but she wanted to tease Blake a little.

"The dragon, not that you're body doesn't look great too," Blake told her, as she struggled to hide the fact that Yang had unintentionally turned her on. She had to remind herself that the thoughts she was having were wrong, Yang was a friend and she didn't want to ruin that.

"Right answer," Yang responded, as she put a hand on her hip and posed for her. As she stood there looking at Blake, she saw that something was different about her. "What's up, Blake? You look stressed," she asked, before walking over and sitting down beside her.

Blake sighed and tried not to look at Yang, who hadn't put her shirt back on. "It's nothing Yang, don't worry about it," she said, not wanting to make things awkward by telling her the truth. She didn't want to lie to Yang, but she didn't feel like she had a choice.

"Alright, but I'm here if you want to talk about it," Yang told her. She didn't mind if Blake didn't want to tell her, she'd still be there for her if she wanted to talk about it or anything else.

"Thanks, Yang, I appreciate it," Blake responded, relieved that Yang wasn't going to pry and force her to reveal the truth. She didn't want to think about what would happen if Yang worked out what she was thinking.

"You know, I think I have something to help you relax," Yang told her, remembering a little something she always carried with her for situations like the one they were in.

Blake didn't know what Yang meant, and it worried her slightly. "What is it?" she asked, making an effort to hide her apprehension.

Yang reached into her bra and pulled out a small bag with some green stuff in it. Without saying anything, she put it on the table in front of Blake.

Blake stared at the bag, then at Yang. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked. She knew exactly what it was, she was just surprised she hadn't noticed the smell earlier.

"You bet your sweet as it is, that's the best shit in the city right there," Yang told her. It wasn't exactly legal, but the cops never did anything about it.

"Yang, why do you have weed?" Blake asked, not really knowing how to react. For some reason, she hadn't expected it to be Yang's solution.

"Don't tell me you've never tried it before," Yang responded. Maybe it was because all her other friends were into it, but she was surprised by Blake's reaction.

"I have, but it's been a while," Blake told her. She said the other members of the White Fang were always smoking it, but she hadn't touched the stuff since she left the band.

"Alright then, why not start again?" Yang asked. She wasn't going to pressure Blake into anything, but she wanted to get high with her.

After a moment of hesitation, Blake made her mind up. "Let's do it, it's time I started having fun again," she said. If anyone else has suggested it she would have said no, but with Yang, she felt fine going along with it.

"That's the spirit, after this, you'll have no worries about anything, I promise," Yang told her, before reaching into the pockets of her shorts and pulling out everything else they would need.

"Do you always carry that stuff around with you?" Blake asked as Yang prepared things.

Yang nodded and said: "Anytime is a good time to get high, that's what Uncle Qrow told me when I was five and I've always remembered it." Her whole life she'd been surrounded by sex, drugs, alcohol and violence, so what her uncle had told her seemed perfectly normal to her.

"Wait, you were five when he told you that?" Blake asked, horrified that someone would say that to a child, especially to their own niece.

"I thought you knew about STRQ and all the crazy shit they did," Yang responded, surprised by how shocked Blake was. She knew Blake knew about STRQ, so she'd assumed that she would know about how crazy their lives were off the stage.

"I listened to their music, but I never really went beyond that," Blake told her. She'd listened to all of STRQ's music and been inspired by them, but she had to admit that she'd never really looked into them beyond that.

"Alright then, sit back and I'll tell you about it," Yang said, as she handed her a joint and lit it for her. Blake was in for a hell of a surprise when she found out about the environment she'd grown up in.

Yang had her full attention, so Blake took a drag and sat back. She was dying to hear what Yang had to say about her family, it would go a long way to explaining why she was the way she was.

Seeing that Blake was ready to hear it, Yang started. "I guess I'll start with Qrow since I already mentioned him," she said, before continuing. "So, Qrow was always drunk and when he wasn't, he was high. The problem was that as successful as he was, he could never have the one thing he wanted most."

"What was that?" Blake asked. It had to be something major if it drove him to alcoholism.

"Summer, he loved her, but she didn't feel the same. The thing was, she was the only person he ever felt that way about, he got with hundreds of women over the years, but none of them could ever replace her in his mind." Yang explained.

"Please tell me things got better for him?" Blake begged, feeling terrible for Qrow despite having never met him.

"I wish I could, but I can't. He's still single and still an alcoholic. He always tries to act happy whenever me and Ruby see him, but really he's just waiting for the drinking to kill him." Yang told her.

"That's terrible," Blake responded. She couldn't think of any other words to describe it.

Yang nodded, before moving on. "Then there's Dad. He never really did drugs, but he drank almost as much as Qrow and he was a sex addict. He used to have orgies with his groupies, even when he was with Mom. He probably has hundreds of kids he doesn't know about."

"I can't imagine what it must be like to know he did all that," Blake told her. She didn't know how she would cope if her own dad had done all the things Yang's had.

"Oh, believe me, it gets worse than that. You see he managed what Qrow never could, he got Summer to fall for him. That made Qrow resent him. It made Mom hate him too because he cheated on her with Summer. It almost tore the band apart." Yang added.

"That's fucked up." was all Blake could think to say.

"Yep, the worst part is he and Mom already had me when it happened. But I can't be too mad, because without it happening, there would be no Ruby." Yang responded. It was a terrible thing her Dad did, but some good did come out of it.

"Oh, so that's how that happened. I kind of assumed that he wasn't with Raven when Ruby was born," said Blake, who had been slightly confused about Ruby and Yang being half-sisters.

"Nope, Ruby's a result of my Dad being unfaithful, not that it changes how I feel about her," Yang replied, before continuing. "Now, Summer was the youngest and most innocent of the group. She drank, but not as much as the others, and she didn't sleep around. The problem she had was a heroin addiction. She had terrible arthritis in her fingers from years of playing her guitar the way she did, and she started taking it for the pain, she only stopped taking it when she found out she was pregnant."

"That's terrible, I can't believe I never knew that about her," Blake said, shocked that she didn't know that about one of her biggest inspirations.

"Yeah, what was worse, is that sometimes she would shoot up while looking after me for Mom and Dad," Yang replied. She had been left in Summer's care on numerous occasions when her parents had other things going on.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that, no child should be exposed to what you were," Blake told her, now starting to understand why Yang had so many issues.

"Thanks, Blake," Yang said with a smile, before going back to her story. "Anway, I'm sure you know about the car accident that killed Summer. But what you probably don't know is that she was only driving that day because she, Dad and Qrow got into an argument about who was to blame for my Mom going missing, and she wanted to get away from them for a while. That made Dad and Qrow's drinking problems worse since they both loved her and both blamed themselves."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Has your Dad recovered from it yet, or is he doing the same as Qrow?" Blake asked, wondering what the man Ruby was living with was like now.

"Oh, he's recovered enough to function again, but he's still a mess. If he didn't have Ruby with him still, I think he would have ended it, to be honest." Yang answered, revealing the sad truth.

"Well, I'm glad he has Ruby still. I can't imagine what it's like to lose as much as he has." Blake responded. She'd lost a lot when she left the White Fang, but it was nothing compared to what Tai and Qrow lost.

Yang nodded, before getting to the last member of STRQ. "Now, my Mom had problems too, as I'm sure you already worked out. She drank heavily and if you can think of a drug, she probably took it at some point. But her biggest problem was her anger issues, which I inherited. She was constantly getting into fights with the rest of the band, fans, security, cops, and a lot of other people. Her fame and money managed to keep her out of jail and settle any lawsuits, but she was always in trouble for one thing or another. Anyway, it only got worse after Dad cheated on her, which wasn't great considering she had me at the time."

"Did she ever hurt you?" Blake asked, really hoping the answer was no, but bracing herself for the worst.

Yang sighed and said: "Sometimes, but only when she was drunk, and never seriously. I don't think she ever meant it, but it did happen." It was something she only revealed to people she really trusted.

"I'm so sorry Yang, you didn't deserve any of that," Blake said, really feeling for Yang. Her parents had never raised a hand to her, so she couldn't imagine what Yang had been through.

"Thanks, Blake. You know you're one of the only people I've ever admitted that to." Yang responded, before giving Blake a sad smile. Then she went back to talking about her mother. "Anyway, when I was seven, Mom went missing. She wrote a will leaving everything to me, then one day, she just left, got on a plane and was never seen again. Eventually, they declared her dead, and I got my inheritance. There's a chance she's still alive, but it's been nearly 20 years at this point, and no trace of her has ever been found." she explained.

"I don't know what to say, Yang, It's incredible that you're here at all after growing up with all that," Blake told her, genuinely amazed that Yang was able to function at all after growing up with everything she had just mentioned.

"You don't need to say anything, it's just nice having someone to listen," Yang responded, before taking a drag of what was left of her joint.

"Alright, how about I do something instead. I mean you've been nothing but open with me, and you gave me some of your weed, so I kind of owe you something." Blake said. Then she stood up and handed what was left of her joint to Yang. As soon as Yang took it, she took her shirt off and removed her bra, allowing Yang to see her nipple piercings.

In a rare turn of events, Yang was caught off guard, finding herself staring in disbelief at Blake's exposed chest. "Um, Blake, are you feeling alright?" she asked. She hadn't known Blake long, but this seemed out of character.

Blake smiled at her "Oh, I'm feeling better than alright, you have no idea how much I wanted to do this when you asked." she responded. Maybe it was the weed kicking in, or her sexual frustration taking over, but she wanted to open up for Yang as much as Yang had for her.

"You sure you're alright? It didn't seem like you wanted to do this before." Yang asked, remembering how awkwardly Blake had acted when she had asked to see her nipple piercings.

"That's just the thing, Yang, the reason I didn't do it then, was because I wanted to do it too much not because I didn't want to do it," Blake explained, It was an awkward thing to admit, but it felt right and the weed helped with her nerves.

"Wait a second, Blake, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Yang asked, not wanting to jump to conclusions but having a pretty good idea of what Blake was alluding to.

Blake nodded, sure that Yang had worked it out. Then she said: "Remember how you thought I was stressed? Well, I was, I was stressed because I'm sexually frustrated and you made me horny, you weren't trying but you managed it. It's embarrassing to admit it, but you deserve to know after being so honest with me." She could hardly believe that the words were coming out of her mouth, but at the same time, she felt that she needed to say them.

"Shit, I'm sorry Blake, I shouldn't have joked around like that," Yang responded, feeling bad for putting Blake in such a state, she was just too damn good at turning people on, even when she wasn't trying to.

"It's alright Yang, I should be the one apologising, you're my friend and I shouldn't be thinking about you in that way," Blake told her. Yang had nothing to apologise for, she had just been joking around.

"Hold up. You shouldn't be apologising for being horny, it's perfectly normal. And for the record, I take it as a compliment that you thought about me that way, I mean seriously, you are way out of my league." Yang assured her. To her, it was an honour to be lusted after by someone as perfect as Blake. Blake was smart, talented, caring, fun, beautiful, everything she looked for in a person and more.

"Wait, you don't mind?" asked Blake, surprised that Yang didn't seem bothered by it, and actually seemed to be happy about it.

"Why would I mind? The most awesome girl I've ever met, just admitted that I turn her on." Yang responded, making no attempt to hide what she thought of Blake. The Faunus was pretty much her dream girl, she just hadn't considered the possibility of them ever being anything other than friends and bandmates.

"Y...Yang, do you…do you like me?" Blake asked, even Yang's weed couldn't get rid of all of her nerves. She felt like she was really taking a risk asking the question, more of a risk than exposing herself to Yang.

"Yes Blake, I like you a lot. I know it complicates things, but there's no point lying about it now." Yang answered. She didn't know where things were going exactly, but she was going to be just as honest as Blake was.

"I like you too Yang, but I don't want to risk our friendship," Blake responded. She was thrilled that Yang liked her back, but she was still worried about how it would affect things.

"Blake, I promise you, I won't stop being your friend just because you feel that way, that's not how I do things," Yang assured her. She saw absolutely no reason why they would stop being friends.

"So what does this mean for us?" Blake asked, not sure what the new revelations meant. She'd never been in such a position before.

"Well, I could help you deal with that sexual frustration then take you on a date if you want to give it a shot. I'm not asking you to commit to anything, but it can't hurt to try since we both like each other." Yang suggested. She was really going out on a limb, but she figured that the potential reward made the risks worthwhile.

Blake was completely thrown by Yang's suggestion. She was genuinely offering to have sex with her to make her feel better, then a chance to make it something more than that. If anyone else had propositioned her like that, she wouldn't have given them the time of day. But with Yang, she really had to consider it. She was drop-dead gorgeous, a world-class drummer, and she had a heart of gold. "Yang, I'm all yours," she said, going with what felt right.

"And I'm all yours." responded a delighted Yang, before standing up and removing her bra. "Should I carry you to the bedroom, or do you want to do it here?" she then asked. She was going to give Blake what she'd been craving, the location didn't matter to her.

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but carry me to bed please, Yang." Blake requested, feeling her excitement building as she took in the sight of Yang's exposed breasts and imagined what the blond amazon was about to do to her.

"You don't have to ask me twice," Yang told her, before scooping her up bridal style. Then she headed for the open door through which she could see Blake's bed.

"You have no idea how much I need this, Yang," Blake said, as they approached the bedroom. She hadn't been touched by anyone since leaving Adam, and he'd never been the most generous of lovers.

"Maybe not, but I do know how to make you feel better," Yang responded as she carried her through the door. She walked over to the bed and gently placed Blake down on it. "Now, how about I get you out of those pants?" she then asked.

Blake nodded. "Take everything off me," she instructed. There were now words to describe how desperately she now craved Yang, it was a way she hadn't felt since she first got with Adam.

"As you wish, m'lady," Yang replied, before getting to work. She started with Blake's socks, which gave her a good look at her feet. Then lifted Blake's feet onto her shoulder, hooked her fingers around the waist of her pants, and pulled them off, leaving her in only her soaking underwear. "Someone's excited." Yang quipped, before removing them as well, leaving Blake fully exposed.

Blake couldn't believe the turn things had taken to, it was not a possibility she had even considered when she agreed to have Yang over. But it was far from a bad thing, and she had no regrets about letting it happen.

Yang dropped Blake's legs back down, before for stripping down completely. Then she climbed onto the bed, so she was looking down on Blake. She looked Blake in the eye, and said: "I can't believe how perfect you are."

"I'm not perfect Yang, you are," Blake responded, as she stared up into Yang's lilac eyes. Yang was more like something out of a romance novel than a real person, but she was very real.

Yang pressed a finger against Blake's lips "No more talking," she whispered seductively. Then she moved her finger to under Blake's chin, as a signal for Blake to move her head closer.

Blake took the hint and sat up until her face was only inches from Yang, feeling of Yang's breath on her face was almost as intoxicating as the weed she could smell on it. She was more than ready for what was about to happen.

Using her one arm to keep herself steady, Yang used her free hand to pull Blake into a kiss. There was no resistance from Blake, and she was easily able to slide her tongue into the Faunus' mouth. Their tongues wrestled, but Blake allowed Yang to dominate. The kiss continued for a while until Yang decided to change position so she was mounting Blake.

Blake wondered what was going on for a moment until Yang started groping her and massaging her breasts. It came as a pleasant surprise, as Adam had never done it to her, and it felt incredible with Yang's warm and strong hands. Maybe this would just end up being a one-off thing, but that didn't matter, Yang was giving her everything she'd been craving and more.

Yang couldn't believe the position she was in. If anyone had told her that she'd end up bedding Blake, she wouldn't have believed them. But there she was, sitting astride her and playing with her breasts. She was sure that there were countless people who would kill to be in her position, not that any of them would ever get close.

Blake had to bite her lip to keep herself from moaning, she couldn't remember the last to she'd felt so good. Yang was obviously incredibly experienced and she was bringing all of that to bear.

After working on Blake for a while and having her melt in her hands, Yang shuffled further down the bed. Then she leaned in close to Blake again and took a pierced nipple in her mouth. She flicked at it with her tongue, which immediately elicited a moan of pleasure from Blake. That sound was exactly what she was hoping for, as it meant she was giving Blake what she had been desperate for.

Blake's eyes rolled back in pleasure. Yang was taking care of her needs in a way Adam never did, he had never even tried to make her feel the way Yang was. But that didn't matter anymore, Adam was gone and now she had Yang.

Yang continued playing with Blake's nipples for a while, before deciding to take things one step further. She climbed off the bed and knelt down at the end of it, before pulling Blake down to the end. Then after putting Blake's legs over her shoulders, she buried her face in the Faunus' crotch.

Blake's back arched as Yang dragged her tongue through her most intimate of areas. Adam was the only other person she'd ever been with, and he'd never gone down on her. So this was a first for her, and it was pure bliss. She could no longer hold back her moans and just hoped her neighbours didn't hear her.

Yang happily lapped away like a drinking cat, Blake's reaction spurring her on. She wasn't going to stop until Blake reached her climax.

It didn't take long for Yang to send Blake over the edge, she gripped her sheets and bit down on her lip as her body started to quiver. Thanks to Yang, she was in a state of pure ecstasy.

Yang finally stopped and admired her handiwork, as Blake struggled to regain her breath. She couldn't help being pleased with herself for putting her in such a state, and she was thrilled that she had given Blake exactly what she needed.

"That...was...incredible." Blake managed to say, as she started to breathe normally again. Incredible was an understatement, but she wasn't thinking straight enough to think of a better word.

Yang climbed and to the bed beside her, and said: "I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. You taste great by the way." She had really enjoyed doing it, she always did, but especially when she was doing it for Blake.

Blake looked across at her and flashed her a dumb smile, still not thinking straight. "You know, you're the only girl I've ever been with," she said. From what Yang had shown her, she much preferred it being with a guy.

"Oh Blakey, you've been missing out," Yang responded, smiling back at her. She was honoured to be Blake's first, and she was glad that Blake had enjoyed her first experience.

Blake was extremely grateful to Yang, and she really wanted to do something in return. "Do you want me to return the favour?" she asked.

"Only if you want to," Yang responded. She liked the idea of Blake returning the favour, but she wouldn't insist on it, Blake's happiness was a good enough reward for her and she didn't want to ruin things.

"I do, I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel." Blake insisted. She wasn't exactly sure if she could do what Yang had, given her lack of experience, but she didn't want to be selfish and leave Yang dissatisfied.

"Alright, then how about you show me your finger work? I know how good you are with them." Yang responded, before sitting up and spreading her legs. She didn't want to ask too much of Blake since it was only her first time.

Blake got on her hands and knees, then positioned herself between Yang's legs. Then she moved one hand to the one part of Yang she'd never expected to see, and started running her fingers through it and probing at it. She'd done it to herself countless times, but doing it for someone else was a completely different experience.

"That's it, Blakey, don't be shy," Yang told her, as she watched Blake awkwardly working. She was positioned in a way that would leave nothing to the imagination to anyone who walked in, and she was focusing only on what her hands were doing. If she wasn't enjoying it so much, she could almost have laughed at how obviously inexperienced Blake was.

Blake felt extremely awkward, but she wouldn't stop until Yang was as satisfied as she was. She did her best to do to Yang, what she knew made herself feel good. She massaged Yang's most sensitive area with her thumb and pushed two fingers inside her.

Despite Blake's lack of experience, Yang was very much enjoying what she was doing. But she would need a little more if she was going to finish. "Alright Blakey, I want you to be rough with me. I want you to go as fast as you can," she instructed. It felt strange walking Blake through things, but she didn't mind at all.

Blake was nervous, but she did as Yang instructed. Years of playing the guitar had given her extremely fast fingers, so she started thrusting her fingers into Yang with all of that speed. Soon she was going knuckle deep.

Yang gripped the sheets as the pleasure grew, Blake was giving her what she needed. "More," she said, as her eyes closed and she focused completely on the wonderful sensation between her legs.

Blake understood what Yang meant, so she added a third finger without slowing down. Whatever it took, she was going to finish Yang off.

Once Blake really got going, it didn't take long for Yang to climax. She tightened her grip on the sheets and bit down hard on her lip, as her hips bucked. Blake may have been inexperienced and awkward, but she did a hell of a good job.

Blake stopped and watched as Yang slowly came down from her high. She couldn't help smiling to herself at the thought of being the one responsible for giving Yang such intense pleasure. She could hardly believe what she had just done the blond bombshell.

As Yang regained her composure, she smiled at Blake. "I knew you were good with your fingers," she said. She'd been with a lot of people in her life, but she'd never experienced anything quite like what she did with Blake.

"So I did a good job?" Blake asked her. It seemed like the answer was yes, but she wanted to make sure Yang had really enjoyed it.

"Don't worry Blakey, you did great. A little more practice and you'll be an expert on this stuff." Yang replied. She was now really hoping that it wouldn't be a one-time thing.

Blake was glad to hear that, but she did have a question. "When you say more practice, do you mean with you?" she asked. After what she had just been through, she definitely wanted more, especially with Yang. But she was worried that Yang wouldn't feel the same despite her best efforts.

"That depends on what you want. If you want this to be a one-off, then I can accept that. If you want to be friends with benefits, I would be fine with that. And, if you want to give dating a shot, then I'd be down for it." Yang responded, making her feelings clear. She would still be Blake's friend no matter what, the only difference would be how intimate they were with each other.

While Blake certainly didn't want it to be a one-off, she was torn between the other options. If they became friends with benefits, then she would no longer have a problem with sexual frustration, and wouldn't have to commit to anything, but she would feel like she was taking advantage of Yang. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she was ready for a new relationship or the attention it would bring her way, Yang did seem like someone worth trying for. "I don't know Yang, I don't want this to be a one-off, and I don't just want to use you for sex, but I'm not sure I can commit to anything with the way things are right now," she said sadly.

Yang sighed heavily and said: "You know Blake, nobody has to know about us if that's what you're worried about. We don't even need to tell Ruby or Weiss. We can just make it seem like we're hanging out as friends." If the only thing stopping Blake was how people would react to finding out about their relationship, then she would do everything she could to ensure it stayed a secret until she was ready to reveal it.

If nobody knew about them, then the press wouldn't bother them about it and her former bandmates wouldn't go after her over it. "If you're okay with keeping it secret, then I would be willing to give dating a try," she told Yang. She hadn't known Yang for long, but she felt she knew her well enough to give a relationship a shot. It was possible that it wouldn't work out, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Yang smiled "I can do that for you." she said, before asking the all-important question. "So what do you say, will you be my secret girlfriend?" It would be complicated, but she liked Blake enough to accept that. They would find a way to keep their displays of affection hidden and make dates seem like innocent meetings between friends.

Seeing that Yang was willing to keep things secret for her sake and wanted a relationship, Blake could only give one answer. "I would love to."

* * *

**I didn't mention this before, but I played around with the ages of the characters for the purpose of this story.**

**Ruby is 21**

**Weiss is 25**

**Blake is 23**

**Yang is 26**

**I came back to restructure and correct this story, so it's as good as it can be when I get the next chapter out. The next chapter should be out soon, but it won't be out until I'm completely happy with it, as I've decided to start cutting back on the number of chapters I put out and the frequency of updates for all my stories and to start focusing on quality and length.**


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